Breath of Fire 2: The Novelisation
by Owaranai Destiny
Summary: A Destined Child. A Dark God. A band of unexpected heroes. Follow the adventures of Ryu Bateson and his friends as they travel the world to unravel the mysteries of the present, the past and their destinies.
1. Prologue

Breath of Fire 2: Prologue  
  
Darkness.  
  
All he could see was darkness, until an eye, monstrous and frightening opened up. Strangely, he did not feel any fear.  
  
"I do not have enough strength."  
  
"Give yourself to God. Pray to God! Praise God! You must become God's strength."  
  
He awoke from his nightmare, which seemed so appealing, yet so frightening.  
* * * *  
"Hahaha!" laughter rang out, no different from the sounds of wind chimes. The blue-haired boy smiled to himself. Yua had tricked their father again, avoiding yet another afternoon nap. Though barely a toddler, Yua sure was clever or rather, cunning.  
  
"Yua! Time for your nap!" Ganer Bateson, preacher of the St. Eva Church in Gate and father of Yua and Ryu Bateson shouted. A sigh followed and the boy with azure hair grinned to himself. His Dad was never going to succeed if he did not watch his younger sister more closely. He counted down silently. 3.2.1.  
  
"Ryu! Could you come down for a minute?" Ganer's voice traveled to the boy's room just as he jumped out of his bed, finished with his daydream. Grinning to himself, Ryu Bateson sauntered down the stairs to meet his sheepish father.  
  
"Yua's gone off again, Ryu. Could you go get her for me again? She doesn't like naps, it seems." The silver-haired preacher said with a sheepish expression on his face. Ryu nodded quickly and rushed out towards the mountains, where he knew his sister would go to.  
  
* * * *  
" Where are you, sis?" Ryu called out as he trekked through the greenery. After ten minutes of searching, he finally saw his sister standing in front of the legendary sleeping dragon.  
  
" Hey sis." Ryu had barely made a move when he suddenly sensed danger. A monster with a blue spike ball for a body leap out from the bushes to confirm his suspicions and he immediately attacked the creature that was advancing slowly on Yua, a tree branch his trusty sword. The thing simply knocked him aside and attacked him viciously with its beak.  
  
" Watch out, Ryu!!" Ganer's voice rang out and three thick tendrils of electricity crashed directly onto the monster, leaving it charred and blackened. Ryu watched wide-eyed as he stood up, battered and bruised and struggled to his feet. " That was close, wasn't it?" His father said, relief obvious in his voice. "You fought for your sister's safety, regardless of your own. That was very brave, Ryu. I'm proud of you."  
  
" Thanks Dad. But Yua's my only sister after all." Ryu replied with a childish grin. He pointed a dirt-filled finger at the pint-sized girl in front of the dragon, " and there she is."  
  
"Yua! Geez, why did you come here for?" Ganer asked. Looking at the massive dragonhead.  
  
" Yeah. Coz I see Momma in my dweams when I sleep 'ere."  
  
"Your mother, huh?" Ryu swiveled his attention on his father as he felt the intense emotion in his voice. Was it..regret?  
  
" Yeah, coz I see Momma in my dreams when I take a nap 'ere."  
  
" But Yua, Momma's..."  
  
" I know! She's gone to a better place above.."  
  
" Hmm.the dragon is special, isn't it? After all, without its help that day when demons invaded this town, I wouldn't have been able to be standing here, let alone defend the town. If only I had more power your Momma would be still here, with us."  
  
" That isn't true, Daddy!" Yua cried out before Ryu could open his mouth to object to his father's words. " Everyone knows both you and the dragon defended the town together!"  
  
"....Together, huh?" Ganer said thoughtfully, his eyes holding a strange glitter as he stared up at the dragonhead. "Together." He laughed softly and nodded as though accepting the statement as a fact. " Hopefully your Momma shares that feeling too."  
  
" Dad?" Ryu asked with concern. He had never seen his father so.strange before.  
  
"She does! She does! The dwagon told me so coz I can talk to it! Well, sort of." Yua's exclaimed.  
  
"..Let's go, Ryu, Yua. Let's go back home, then we can talk all about Momma, Yua." Garner seem to snap out of his momentary trance and carried Yua back towards Gate. " Come on home before it's dark, Ryu."  
  
"Okay." Came his reply as he watched his father and sister walk away and watched as his sister came running back to him.  
  
"You might dream about Momma too if you sleep here, big brother!" Her words faded as she ran off and Ryu somehow could not shake off the feeling that he might not see his family for a very long time.  
  
But that thought could wait. All Ryu felt was fatigue and he wanted to sleep and rest up, even with Garner's healing. "Mother." Ryu said before pleasant darkness engulfed him.  
  
Darkness. Total, complete darkness. Ryu looked about, trying to find any bit of light.  
  
All he saw was the eye again. Horrendous and ominous, it finally managed to strike the stake of fear into Ryu's heart as he felt the eye stare into his own, looking into his emotions, his memories, his weaknesses.  
  
Ryu woke up with a start, sweating profusely. That couldn't be Mother, could it? He shook the thought off and decided to rush back to the church, seeing that daybreak had already had a head start on him.  
  
* * * *  
The curious stares unsettled him as he made his way towards the church. Something was very wrong here. He could sense it. Ryu went up to one of the villagers to enquire about their strange behaviour. " Excuse me, miss. You know me, Ryu Bateson, right? Have you seen my father Ganer or my sister Yua? My father's the preacher of the church."  
  
"Ganer? Ryu? Yua? Never heard of you before, and what do you mean your father's the preacher? Father Hulk has always been the preacher of the church!" The woman exclaimed, genuine surprise shown on her face.  
  
Having no other choice, Ryu decided to enter the church to look for answers. He went up to the Father Hulk and before even opening his mouth, the preacher spun and saw him.  
  
" Young child, welcome to the house of St. Eva. What can I do for you?" The balding man said with a kind voice. Ryu felt the warmth projected and felt hot tears coming out, which did not go unnoticed by the preacher.  
  
" Do you have no family, child? Don't worry, the church will never turn you away, regardless of who you are." The voice seemed to inspire more tears to flow and finally, Ryu's resolve laid in pieces as he wept uncontrollably, thinking of his father and sister.  
  
" Think of this place as your home and rest. Don't worry about anything else."  
  
* * * *  
  
Ryu lay awake, unable to sleep, thinking about his missing family. Where were they? Were they dead or did they travel someplace else? His thoughts were interrupted by another orphan, a dog tribe boy who jumped out of bed quietly to steal the only source of light-a candle from the table. "Sheesh, this place is cheaper than a garbage dump. This are the only things I can find that are of any value at all!"  
  
Ryu's sense of justice overtook him and he jumped out of bed to confront the "orphan", only to be greeted by a smile. " Hi! Don't say anything, now, cause you are probably just like me, right? Act like a poor kid and get into this place then you steal any valuables that can be found, right? But this place is worthless, so we need to get to a bigger village, which is where I am going. You coming?"  
  
Ryu was shocked for a while, but recovered his composure enough to utter a "No." To which the thief replied, "So you think stealing is bad, huh? Well, we gotta do bad things sometimes just to stay alive, ya know. The small crime of stealing isn't gonna put us anywhere in God's bad books, right? I guess you could stay put here and pray to the Almighty! See ya sometime!" And in a flash, the thief was gone.  
  
Ryu frowned hard and began to think. He had nowhere to go, but his family could still be out there, somewhere and he wasn't much of a pious boy. Furthermore, going with the dog-boy could let him travel about and see the world, which was something he always wanted to do. He made up his mind and walked towards the stairs.  
  
Where the dog-boy immediately came up. " Haha, I knew you would change your mind! No old village like this one's gonna hold you in one place, right? Thieves don't belong in churches anyway. Name's Bow. What's yours?" The youth extended a paw, waiting for Ryu to accept his friendship.  
  
"I'm Ryu. Ryu Bateson, Bow." The azure-haired boy took the paw and shook it firmly, smiling as the Dragon Tear around his neck shone a pale green colour. A gift apparently from his mother, Ryu cherished it more than his life. The green colour only meant that Bow was going to be a good friend.  
  
The duo snuck down, Bow snickering at the snoring Father Hulk before Ryu elbowed him to shut up. They stole out of the village like a couple of rats and ran out to freedom. Bow smelled the air as a side reward to their newfound freedom, only to smell rain.  
  
"Argh! There's going to be a heavy downpour, Ryu! Make for the nearest shelter!" He shouted over the thunderstorm, which threatened to drown out his voice.  
  
"Over there!" Ryu hollered, pointing to a cave even as they ran towards the mouth of it. Bow shook his fur furiously as they got into the pitch black cave.  
  
"Hooo, its so dark here. Maybe the candles oughta do the trick." Bow voice rang out in the ominous slience and darkness as the soft light of the candle illuminated part of the caverns. "Let's go, pal!" Bow said as the pair set off deeper into the cave, hoping to find an exit.  
  
"Hey Bow, where did you learn to steal-Whoa!" Ryu tripped over something bulky and uneven and saw a flash of purple skin, unpleasantly alike to the skin around the eye in his dreams.  
  
"What was that? Let's follow it!" Bow exclaimed and ran off in pursuit of the strange thing that had moved off into the cave before Ryu could protest. He sighed and ran off, even as a sense of foreboding advised him otherwise, Ryu couldn't help but feel curious about the "thing" he had disturbed.  
  
The duo walked along, following the "thing"'s trail and finally arrived at a unusually large cavern. In the dim light projected by the candle, they got a close look at the thing they had been following. It was a tail.  
  
And it belonged to the terrifying demon that stood erect at the center of the cavern.  
  
Ryu heard Bow gasp in complete horror at the majestic and yet monstrous being, barely crying out the words 'watch out Ryu' and 'it's a demon' before a flick of the demon's tail sent him crashing into the cavern's walls. He slided down the walls, unmoving.  
  
"Bow!" Ryu cried out and he tried to rush to his friend and help him. But without the candle, the only way he could see was by the unholy purple light projected by the monstrosity. He turned to face the being, trying not to show fear.  
  
"Are you telling me you are the one??" The sinister, whispering voice resonated throughout the cavern, stunning Ryu with its words. At the same time, the Tear flared up with a black colour. " The child for the mission?.Very well, show me what you can do, then!" The demonic being roared and Ryu automatically switched to a defensive stance.  
  
.And found himself flying backwards and grabbed by a what seems to be the claw of the demon. "Open the gate, Ryu. Open it destined one and you will then know the true power of GOD!!" The demon roared as he threw Ryu down, sending mental demonic blast, tearing apart Ryu's soul. He screamed, ignoring all the deep gashes on his body. He screamed and screamed again, tortured by the demonic energies torturing him.  
  
All Ryu felt was extremely excruciating pain, red, then black in front of his eyes. Then, by some miracle, he managed to open his eyes and the last thing he saw was the claw descending upon him with frightening speed.  
  
Then, he knew no more.  
  
As he floundered in the void of his unconsciousness, Ryu felt as though he had awoken from a long dream.  
  
But both his father and sister have disappeared and no one recognized him.  
  
He dreamt of a horrific demon who ripped his heart and body apart.but it remains as a dream.  
  
Yet, he could not deny the existence of the vision as he hears its call within the corners of his mind.A different world.A world of silence and darkness.  
  
He felt himself drawn to this world and moves towards it, feeling both fear and exhilaration. He succumbs and the darkness welcomes him with open arms.  
  
"You are the one!" The demon screeches. Although Ryu denys this, deep within the hidden depths of his heart, he knows that it is true.  
  
His dreams began to take form as reality is left far behind him.  
  
How was it? Please R&R! 


	2. Chapter 1: Of pets, god statues, harpies...

Breath of Fire 2: Chapter 1-Of pets, God Statues, Harpies and Ruins  
  
"Elder! Please give us work! We're full-fledged workers now and really want to do something!" Bow's voice rang out. Sixteen year-old Ryu Bateson and Bow Doggie stood before the elder of the Ranger's guild of Hometown. Ryu sighed as he watched the argument between the elder and Bow began. It has been ten years since their terrible encounter with the demon at Gate and Ryu couldn't forget what had happened. The only thing that puzzled him was why the demon had not taken his soul or his life yet as he laid on the ground, defenseless and near death. When both of them woke up, the three men who rescued them were concealed by cloaks and mystery as they had never shown their faces. The first had taught Ryu swordsmanship while the second taught Bow the art of using bows. The third had taught both of them in the art of thievery, which was something Ryu didn't learn much about, completely opposite from Bow.  
  
"Alright, calm down now, Bow. There's one job that needs to be done." Ryu turned his attention back to the Elder as he spoke, throwing a piece of paper onto the desk.  
  
"Finally.WHAT? FIND A GODDAMNED PET??!?"  
  
".Well, that's the only job left around here, Bow, so if you don't take it."  
  
"N-O NO. I don't want to do it. What kind of job is this? Some dumb guy loses his pet, which is his responsibility and wants us to help him find it back? Sheesh!" Bow ranted as the Elder covered his poor ears to escape the wrath of Bow's voice.  
  
"Um, Bow." Ryu began but was cut off by the sound of a door opening. In stepped a pretty girl with waist-length blue hair and four foot six, one foot shorter than Ryu. She wore a dress of cascading purple topped with a pink bodice and had large, innocent eyes of green not unlike Ryu's. She also had a pair of wings of pure white, accentuating her pristine features. An eye-catching Winidian, Ryu thought as he recalled the lessons about the Wing Clan. Judging by her appearance and the youth of her face, Ryu felt that she must be around fourteen or fifteen years of age.  
  
"Sir?" The pleasant voice that sounded like crystal bells floated across the room as the girl walked up to the desk. "Are these the men that will find my pet?" Ryu then realized that the girl walked with an impeccable grace that could put any swan to shame. She also wore a exquisite necklace of rubies. Ryu silently whistled in awe. This girl probably came from a rather prestigious family. He then noticed Bow's stunned and smitten expression and smirked to himself. While she didn't really catch his attention, Bow was definitely enraptured by her.  
  
"Oh Mina." The Elder said to the lithe Winidian. "Well, they don't seem to want the job."  
  
"Hang on a sec, Elder!" Bow immediately jumped up and exclaimed. "We didn't say we wouldn't do it, right, buddy?" He asked Ryu for confirmation, a strange glitter apparent in his eyes. Ryu just shrugged and nodded, the playful smirk directed at Bow who didn't seem to notice.  
  
Bow ran up to Mina and talked quickly, "Mina! Youcanleaveittometofindyourpet!"  
  
"Well, thank you very much!" Mina seemed not to notice how flustered Bow was as she smiled disarmingly at him, causing him to gain a new interest in his old leather boots.  
  
"Leave it to us, Elder, and everything will be fine!" Bow shouted loudly, thumping his chest. Ryu sighed and decided to stay silent.  
  
"Thank you very much again! Please find my Suzy as fast as possible, if it is not too much to ask for." She smiled sweetly, this time at both of the novice rangers. Bow flushed while Ryu returned a small smile and nodded.  
  
"Leave it to us, elder!" Bow repeated. "It's a pity such a pretty girl just happened to have the bad luck of losing her pet, and as men, it's our duty to find it back and bring it back to her safely!"  
  
The Elder sighed. ".You are a.calculating man, I must say, Bow. Anyway, just try your best, okay? And don't try to be a hero and do something rash."  
  
Bow had already started to drag Ryu out just as the sentence was completed and the Elder sighed again. "That Bow.Maybe I ought to find some proper jobs for him."  
  
* * * *  
  
"Stupid guy, eh?" Ryu couldn't help but poke fun at his best friend. " Instead it turns out to be a 'unlucky pretty girl', for you.hmm.I find it funny how the stupid becomes the unlucky."  
  
"Shaddup, pal. Let's just ask around. I can't wait to find her pet!" Bow replied with a dreamy expression on his face.  
  
"You know, Bow, if you are gonna have such a terrible weakness for pretty girls, you might find yourself in a lot of trouble with them."  
  
"I can't help it, can I? And don't you even find her attractive at all? You stood like a stone gargoyle there."  
  
"Nah. She's pretty, sweet and all, but she's not my type and not my age, buddy, so .She's all yours to go after." Ryu grinned at his Grass Runner friend again, just to irritate him, but to no avail.  
  
"Let's go, let's go, let's go!" Bow's cheerful voice rang out. Ryu shook his head in resignation and followed his overexcited friend to inquire about the pet.  
  
"There was someone strange to the south near Mount Fubi, Bow, maybe that could help you." The guard replied to Bow's question about the pet.  
  
"Hmm.okay, thanks, Garrick! That oughta be some help." Bow said, patting the man on his back. "Let's go this corner.? There's only an old dragon statue here."  
  
Ryu heard the last statement of Bow and stopped him from leaving the town. He had a sudden, overpowering urge to look at the statue. The blue-haired teen stepped forward and gaze at the statue.  
  
Which suddenly opened its eyes and grinned at Ryu who of course, jumped back in surprise and knocked into Bow, sending him sprawling onto the ground.  
  
"Hey there! So there are still curious people willing to pray to me? Lately, the new God St. Eva seemed to get all the attention of the people.no one pays any attention any more to the Dragon God. It was so pleasant then, the people praying, asking for my advice, my blessings." The statue ranted on and on till Ryu, who had recovered first, popped out a question as curiosity got the better of him.  
  
" Erm.Who.or what are you?"  
  
The statue seemed to turn and apologize profusely. "Oh my, sorry about that. Where were my manners? I guess complaining is one symptom that I am getting old.by the way, my name's Ladon, the Dragon God." The statue grinned a toothy grin, showing his phantom incisors and full row of sharp teeth.  
  
"Eh, nice to meet you." Ryu said uncertainly. This statue was strange, but the Tear seemed to reflect no malevolent colours regarding the statue's intentions. " Pardon me, Great Ladon, but how did you 'fall out of favour' with the people?"  
  
"Who knows, and call me Ladon. Hate all that formal stuff. Probably because I did not have any preachers left in this world, I guess. Perhaps you could help me."  
  
"Whoa there, Great-I mean Ladon, we got jobs to do, now, so sorry." Bow said hurriedly. Ryu cut him off immediately.  
  
"Maybe, I could pray to you, Ladon. I'm not a firm believer of St.Eva and kinda need to put my faith in some other.entity or something." Ryu offered and the ethereal body from the statue took a pose of considering his offer.  
  
"Hmm.okay then! That will be fine by me, I guess. Anyway, if you go on and pray to my other statues found in other places, you could unlock secret powers of mine." The ethereal form winked and faded out. "Thanks for your offer!"  
  
"That was scary." Bow stated. "You don't seemed frightened or shaken, though, buddy."  
  
"Dunno. I just thought this would be normal. Anyway, Let's go find a pet."  
  
* * * *  
  
"Damned. These Gongheads are hard to kill. Stupid shells." Bow muttered as he barely had time to dodge its attack.  
  
"Mmm..." Ryu replied absently-mindedly as he cleaved an E.Sludge into two, his sword singing the song of battle. Those Gongheads look familiar, perhaps they were cousins of the one he had fought in Gate?  
  
"Look ou-" Bow's warning came as a Leech came flying towards Ryu from the back. Without, looking, Ryu spun about and ducked, then slashed upwards, jumping together as he did so. The Leech was cut in half, its upper half still writhing as it died.  
  
"Wow. Nice one buddy. But how did you know without any warning?" Bow asked as they paused to catch their breath before moving on.  
  
"Dunno. Must be that the training paid off." Ryu replied nonchalantly as he cleaned the greenish blood off his sword and sheathe it. "There's Mount Fubi, Bow. Ain't you excited?" Ryu said with a sly grin.  
  
"Yeah! Suzy must be in there somewhere. Hope she doesn't get attacked or eaten, or Mina's gonna be very sad." Bow said worriedly and excitedly at the same time. "Come on buddy, Let's go!"  
  
* * * *  
  
"Psst, Psst! Its big!"  
  
"Huh?" Did you say something, dude?" Bow turned to ask Ryu, who shrugged and had an expression that mirrored Bow's puzzled one. Bow seemed to ponder about something, but shrugged in the end and went into the first cavern they came across.  
Moments later, Bow's mood turned sour again as they found themselves surrounded once again by Small Goblins. They somehow managed to overcome the monsters and reached a spring. "Finally, we can rest, buddy. Ya need some water?" Bow asked, exhausted as he walked towards the spring, water coming out of a miniature dragonhead.  
  
"Thanks, but I can get some myself." Ryu replied, bandaging up a small cut on his hand." By the way, that's a healing spring. It fades your wounds and energizes you.  
"Really?" Came Bow's muffled reply as he gulped down large quantities of the water. "That's cool."  
  
And they continued on, battling any monsters who seem bent on eating them for lunch. They heard the voice again as they exited the mountain caverns they had entered on a different level.  
  
"Lucky it's handsome! All we take now lately are cats and dogs!"  
  
"Yeah, and maybe the occasional sheep."  
  
"Be quiet, sisters! We need to hide and ambush our food, ya know."  
  
"As if you are quiet."  
  
the squabbling went on, leaving two puzzled novice rangers at the bottom of a natural ramp.  
  
"Oh well," Ryu shrugged and went up ahead of Bow, not giving a damn about who the owners of the voices were.  
  
He was about to find out.  
  
"Here we go! 1.2.3.GO!"  
  
"Wha-" Ryu barely dodged in time as three sets of talons swiped at him. He looked up to see three harpies flying about.  
  
"I want the handsome one!" Said the first harpy, and she swooped down upon the pair.  
  
"Does she mean me?" Bow said, as he prepared for battle. Were circumstances not so grim, Ryu would have teased his friend. He dodged the harpy's attack easily and countered it.  
  
"Hey! He's mine, Peach!" The second harpy attacked Ryu with the same results.  
  
"Stop, Palo! Puti wants him!" The third harpy swooped down recklessly and this time, Ryu's attack struck home. Puti went down in a shower of blood.  
  
"Sis!" The other two harpies cried out. Two arrows embedded themselves into Palo's chest and she fell.  
  
"AHH!!" Peach screeched as she dove straight at Ryu with a berserk rage. "DIE!"  
  
"Ryu! Get out of the way so I can get a clear shot at her!" Bow cried as he watched, slightly anxious for his friend. All he received in reply was a devilish smile and a glint in Ryu's emerald eyes as he stood his ground. As Peach neared him, He threw up his sword hilt first and grabbed her talons and held them in check. Peach screamed and struggled wildly. Ryu, who seemed to be waiting for something, suddenly smirked and let go of her talons, earning three talon marks across his chest.  
  
The sword plunged down into Peach's back and her eyes went wide from anger to triumph to shock as her dropped onto the cliff of the mountain, dead.  
  
Ryu retrieved his sword and turned to Bow. "You okay, pal?" Bow looked at him, open-mouthed and pointed silently to Ryu's wound. "Oh that? It's okay, man. Somehow I don't feel much pain. Training must have really paid off and at least I know I'm handsome." He added, trying to lighten the mood. Bow scowled at him or rather, the smug grin on his face.  
  
Bow then closed his mouth and gasped as though he had suddenly realized something. "Could it be that, those things had eaten Suzy?..I really hope not. Let's go find her quickly!"  
  
"You betcha." Ryu replied. "Let's start by combing the mountain. Maybe Suzy's hidden somewhere there." Bow nodded his approval and the best friends made their way to the top of the mountain.  
  
"Let's move this rock." Bow said and without waiting for Ryu's response, he shoved the rock down. It bounced and hit an enormous boulder, which subsequently bounced about like a basketball and crashed down, wrecking the first cavern entrance.  
  
"Wow." Was all Ryu said as they looked at the chain reaction. "At least we have a quicker exit now, Thanks to you, Bow." Bow laughed nervously and quickly looked about for witnesses. Satisfied and relieved that there was no one around, Bow darted into the entrance of the cavern.  
  
* * * *  
  
"So there leaves the west of Mount Fubi, where some ruins are located." Ryu stated as they walked towards the very place he had just mentioned.  
  
"Suzy has just got to be there! There isn't anywhere else-" A horrified scream cut off the rest of his words and the rangers immediately sprang into action, charging towards the ruins at full speed.  
  
"It came from inside here, Bow!" Ryu exclaimed as he charged in, longsword in hand. "Hey, is everything fine? What the-" The duo came face to face with six cockroaches the size of a man's forearm surrounding an old man. Three bolts from the crossbow of Bow's and three successive slashes were enough to finish the battle.  
  
"Hey, you alright?" Bow asked the man.  
  
"Yeah, got scared out of my skin- ARGH! It's HUMONGOUS!!! D-Don't come near me!!!"  
  
Ryu whirled about and saw a cockroach about six feet in length skittering towards them while Bow fought down a sound of revulsion and they readied for yet another tiring battle.  
  
Despite the sheer size of the insect, the fight was a short one and Bow did the honour of reviving the old man, who promptly fainted upon sighting the giant cockroach. Looking at the way he dressed, Ryu could only deduced that this man must either be a beggar or has traveled a lot. Torn overcoat, scraggly beard in dire need of a shave, tanned skin, wearing a pair of smelly old boots with his toes pointing out rather obtrusively, an extremely faded travelling cloak and a balding head with sunken eyes. He probably did not have enough food to eat for some time.  
  
"Whoa, that was the biggest cockroach I have ever saw. Never seen anything like it in all my years of wandering." The old man shook his head as though trying to clear it. "Never had to fight cockroaches just to protect my food." The old man mumbled to himself. Then, he saw the duo scrutinizing him. "Oh, my apologies. My name us Niro, and I have decided to settle down here after years of endless and boring wandering. Those times were good though, fighting Basilisks and the like." The old man rambled on until he came back to reality about five minutes later, leaving Bow yawning rudely.  
  
"Oops, there I go, rambling again. Anyway, I was going to eat the food before they could return from their first attacks. Since you two saved me, then I guess I will have to share it with you."  
  
He strolled over to a nearby cauldron on fire and produced a chubby pig from his torn overcoat. "Emm-mm! Doesn't it look delicious? Since you youngsters rescued me, I will give you the two legs. Add a little chilli and some spices and voila! The pig will be ready to eat!"  
  
"What's this? Ah, doesn't matter. I'll just boil you for a bit till you are tender and fragrant." Niro said as he unhooked the collar around the pig's neck and threw it carelessly over his shoulder, which landed right on Bow's nose.  
  
"Hey, watch it old man! That hurts!" The Grass Runner complained, rubbing his sore nose as he picked up the collar. His expression froze as he looked at the nametag on the collar. "Ryu?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Let me confirm this. We are supposed to look for Mina's pet, right? And her pet's name.is S-U-Z-Y, right?"  
  
"Uh-huh. Wait, you don't mean." Ryu looked at Bow in horror and they realized simultaneously.  
  
"The pig is Suzy!!!"  
  
The next thing that happened was madness. Ryu and Bow both scrambled over to the cauldron to push Niro aside. Bow tripped over Ryu and singed his fur upon slight touch of the fire while Ryu grabbed a nearby bucket of water to put out the fire, soaking Bow in the process. Niro had rushed up to stop them but bundled Ryu over, both falling over and pleasantly rewarded by the cold and dirty water remaining in the bucket splashed all over them while Bow pulled out the struggling Suzy quickly, scalding his paws as a result.  
  
"Phew, Suzy looks fine to me. It's a good thing we realized it in the nick of time, right guys?"  
  
"Yeah Bow."  
  
Niro gave out a sigh. "Darn it, all that good food gone just like that." He took a pleading stance that implied 'can I have a bite of the pig before you go first?'  
  
"Over my dead body, pal!" Bow replied back anxiously, afraid the old geezer might try something funny to get Suzy. He quickly tucked Suzy into his bag despite her outraged 'oinks' of protests. "  
  
"All right! Mina's gonna be so happy I found her! Maybe she will even give me a kiss.Then I could ask her out for dinner."  
  
"Uh, buddy."  
  
"In a posh restaurant with champagne."  
  
"Uh, Bow."  
  
"Then we will walk under the moonlight."  
  
"Bow."  
  
"Then we will declare our love for each other, then we will kis-"  
  
"BOW!!!! SNAP OUT OF IT MAN!"  
  
" Huh, what?" Bow turned around, irritated his daydream had ended so abruptly. He came face to face with a extremely irked Ryu and a amused Niro.  
  
"Good. At least you're awake. Now I assume you want to rush back?"  
  
"That goes without question!!! Let's go!" With that, Ryu found himself pulled by Bow, travelling at the point where they were about the break the sound barrier of speed.  
  
Ryu sighed. His friend was never ever going to change.  
  
A Happy New Year to all readers! Plz R&R.  
  
P.S: Keep in mind the New Year resolutions you have for themselves. Do your part to fulfill them and all the best for 2004! 


	3. Chapter 2: From innocent thieves to a ki...

Author: First of all, I want to extend my thanks to the reviewers of my story  
  
Gleenthefrog: Thanks for your advice. Noticed that this does follow the script a bit too much and will change that.  
  
Darth: hmm.I dun knoe. Maybe if u read on more, then u will knoe soon.(  
  
Haytham: Glad u liked it. Hope the subsequent chappies will earn more of ur praise  
  
Silver kitsune: thx 4 ur support n I plan on updating this more often so I hope u will enjoy other chappies!  
  
Okay, enough of the thanks. On with the story!  
  
Breath of Fire 2: Chapter 2-From innocent thieves to a kitty Katt  
  
"Okay, We're back. So where's Mina?"  
  
Ryu grinned. "Patience, man. Sometimes when you want a girl, you gotta wait for her. By the way, I noticed the way Silvia stared at you just now."  
  
Bow attempted to hide his nervousness at the statement with a laugh, but failed miserably. "Yeah, I know. Sometimes I wish I could change this weakness of mine for pretty girls. Even my nose can't sniff out all the mischief some girls can come up with."  
  
"you'll get it right in time, dude. Just relax. Oh, here she comes. Let's enter the Elder's room before her, then you can show yourself to be a true hero, Bow!"  
  
Bow nodded, his cheery mood returning and both of the rangers entered the room silently.  
  
"Did you find her?" Mina asked, making her entry known, the anxiety and worry present in her sweet voice.  
  
"Don't worry Mina! Here she is!" Bow said proudly as he took out Suzy and placed her gently on the table of the Elder.  
  
"Oink, oink oink!" There was no mistaking the joy in Suzy's cries.  
  
"Suzy!" Mina cried out with the same amount of joy. She hugged her pet tightly, smiling as tears of relief poured down her cheeks. "Wow, she's so clean! Did both of you give her a bath?"  
  
Ryu floundered at the question before Bow managed to stammer, " Well, it's something close to that."  
  
"Thank you both very much! The bath was very nice of you!" Bow blushed as Mina thanked them both. "It was a good thing you managed to come back in time."  
  
Ryu's small smile faded as he took on a puzzled look. Bow must have did the same as Mina explained. " In time? What for?"  
  
"Mina is going back to Windia, Bow." The Elder, who had been forgotten for quite a while spoke up.  
  
Mina then walked up to the confused Bow with a smile. "I thank you again from the bottom of my heart. Do come and visit us soon in Windia!" She giggled girlishly and waved to the rangers as her two winged companions or guards accompanied her out the door. Leaving a sad, then outraged Bow.  
  
"This isn't fair, man! I thought I could at least be friends with her." The forlorn look on his face was enough to move the Elder, as he moved up to Bow to console him.  
  
"There, there. You could find someone else, can't you? Here's your pay, by the way. All 500 coins of it!" Bow sighed and took the money, thanked the Elder silently and walked dejectedly out through the door of the room.  
  
"Hey Bow." Ryu started, only to be cut off by a defeated grin of Bow's  
  
"It's okay, dude. I don't think Mina's gonna fall for someone like me in the first place. At least we were successful on our first job."  
  
Ryu had rarely seen his cheerful friend down in the dumps and when he did, he didn't like it. It affected people (with Ryu as an exception sometimes) close to Bow and made the day seem gloomy. He had never tried consoling people, but Ryu decided to give it a go.  
  
"Hey buddy, we gonna go back home, man. Buy some good food and grog and celebrate our debut success! Forget about all that angst crap and have a good time, like you always do! Anyway, there's still Silvia, right?"  
  
Ryu watched in satisfaction as Bow's face lit up at the mention of a party and another girl. "Yeah, you're right again, Ryu. Let's go back and celebrate!!!"  
  
Ryu grinned. It was good to have the old Bow back again.  
  
* * * *  
  
The sound of a knocking door woke up the Grass Runner and he opened his bleary eyes to look at the magic sundial they had just bought. It was one in the morning.  
  
"Geez, who could it be at this unearthly hour?" He opened the door to reveal a man wearing a sky-blue silk tunic with silk leggings and shoulder length hair, silvering around the sides.  
  
"What do you want now, man?" Bow asked irritably as he looked at the man. He seemed troubled and was a bit nervous.  
  
"I have need of your services, Bow." The man said, his youthful voice surprising Bow, who had jolted awake at the mention of work.  
  
".Please do come in, Mr.?"  
  
"Aramier. Kilgore Aramier . I need you to.take something of mine back from Trout's house! He had stolen it and I can't let him get away with such a crime!"  
  
"Hmm.Okay. I believe you. I will get the treasure back for you. When am I going to pull off this.job?"  
  
"Would now be too much of a hassle for you?" Kilgore asked hopefully  
  
"Shouldn't be a problem. Please go back to your house and await my good news!"  
  
"Thank you very much, kind sir."  
  
"Enough of that, man. Two grateful people are too much for me to handle. By the way, I'm Bow Doggie, but just Bow would be fine."  
  
"I'll await your news then, Bow." The man left, seeming more relieved and happy.  
  
"Bow put on his regular clothing and strapped his crossbow to his back and walked towards the door, pausing at the Ryu's bed, who was sleeping like the dead. He knew that asking Ryu along would avail to nothing as Ryu couldn't steal even if his life depended on it. Anyway, Ryu's brand of justice would stop Bow from completing this job, which was not something he wanted.  
  
Bow crept silently down the hallway of their apartment and shut the door, which closed with a soft click.  
  
Ryu stirred and woke up. It was three in the morning, and when he woke up at this kind of time with a bad feeling, it meant that something was wrong to him. He peeked into Bow's room after he got up and dressed.  
  
It was empty.  
  
"Probably off for a stroll." Ryu shrugged and decided to join his friend. He strapped his sword to his back and was about the open the door when it swung into him.  
  
"Oww! Hey, watch it!" Ryu cried out as he looked at his 'assailant'. It was a guard he had seen at Trout's house! What was he doing here?  
  
"Have you seen Bow?" Ryu shook his head. "you don't know, right? Your FRIEND has burglarized my master's house! You better report to ME when you see him, got it?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah. I got it. How about I even HELP you search for him?" Ryu replied, mimicking the way the guard exaggerated his words. He was extremely irked by the guard's attitude and wanted to bash in his face but decided against it.  
  
"Do what you need to." Were the guard's words as he disappeared from the doorframe.  
  
Bow? Steal? When he had a decent job? Something felt wrong here, and Ryu did not intend to let it remain a mystery to him. He rushed down and went straight towards Trout's house.  
  
A blur of wings and pink crashed into him and mumbled an apology before zooming off. The shape seemed vaguely female and Ryu had glanced at that girl(judging from the youthfulness of her voice) and saw that she had blue hair and emerald eyes, just like.his?  
  
He felt a strange sense of familiarity with the girl and felt foolish immediately. He hadn't even seen how she looks like and what she does. He hadn't even met her before!  
  
Or had he?  
  
Ryu shook his head and went to Trout's house to investigate. He saw that the fences had been expertly cut and any tracks in the grass were cleverly covered. The bolt that broke the lock immediately told him all he needed to know. Confused, Ryu decided that finding Bow for the truth was the most important element here.  
  
Ryu began to think. Bow couldn't be outside due to the sheer number of guards guarding any possible exits, official or unofficial. He had no friends, except for himself, so the only place he would hide in is.  
  
"Our apartment." Ryu muttered as he found Kilgore and assured him that it was not his fault all this happened. He ran up their apartment and opened the door, looking at a frantic-looking Grass Runner trying to hide under his bed. Bow.  
  
"Sorry, Ryu. Looks like this one big mess I've got us into."  
  
"Nuh-uh, pal. There's no way you are the one. I'm your ten year long friend, man. I know about you." Ryu interrupted him, earning him a grateful look from Bow.  
  
"Thanks buddy. Anyway, let me explain." and Bow went on to tell Ryu that he had broken in, but only to get the treasure back. Instead, a girl with wings had got there first and stolen everything. He was then discovered by guards during escaping and barely avoided being caught.  
  
"Hmm.No one else is gonna believe you, Bow, so I think you need a place to hide for a while first, somewhere like the Ruins." Ryu said thoughtfully. Before Bow could reply, there was a loud banging on the door. "The guards! Hide somewhere safe first, man. I'll occupy them."  
  
Bow had just jumped into the empty dustbin when the guard opened the door without invitation. "Have you seen the thief, Bow?" the guard asked Ryu suspiciously. Ryu shook his head and seemed to wait for a reply. The guard looked and searched about, causing Ryu to hold his breath. Few minutes passed and the guard came out, empty-handed. Ryu breathed a mental sigh of relief and assured the guard he would inform the authorities when he found Bow.  
  
"That was close." Ryu said to the dustbin and started to carry it. "Damned, you're heavy, man!" I'm gonna sneak out, alright? So you just stay still for a while." A rapping from within the container signaled Bow's approval and Ryu set out for the Ruins.  
  
* * * *  
"So you see, Bow has to stay here, Niro." Ryu explained as they reached the Ruins while Bow took a bath in a nearby spring.  
  
"That's fine by me. He was wrongfully accused and you need to find the girl with wings to prove his innocence. If fact, I am the grateful one here actually."  
  
"Hmm?" Ryu questioned. He was answered by dust falling on top of him as the roof crumbled, showing the stars in the night(or morning) sky.  
  
"Bow could help me with repairs to this place and make it a decent home. Then you can ask around for suspicious characters in Coursair or Hometown. You oughta get some answers and you better do a good job, Bow, or I'm gonna snitch on you!" The old man said with a twinkle in his eyes.  
  
"Oh man! Guess I have no choice but to help out." Bow replied in mock helplessness. "Please help me, Ryu. I'm counting on you to clear my name!"  
  
"No prob, man! Nothing's gonna stop me from doing so! Till I return with good news, sit tight and help out, Bow!" Ryu replied as he rushed back to Hometown.  
  
"Hmm.Where to start?" Ryu pondered as he received news about a winged girl in the Magic School and a strange girl in Coursair. "The girl's gonna escape, so she probably has to be in Coursair!" Ryu muttered and he stocked up on supplies and set off for Coursair, passing by a man crying over 'Memeko', his self-professed girlfriend who had 'broken up' with him, to which Ryu thought was kinda dumb.  
  
"Whew! Finally reached Coursair." Ryu exclaimed as he wandered about the streets of the place. A bit crowded, he observed. There was no way he was going to find the suspect here. He decided to go to the pub and talk to people regarding talks of a strange girl in the Coliseum.  
  
"Strange girl in Coliseum? Maybe the big guy over there can help you." The bartender said as he eyed Ryu disapprovingly, probably because he looked rather young to be having a drink here. Ryu nodded and gulped down his drink in one gulp, surprising the bartender.  
  
"I'm seventeen, bub. I can drink what I want." Ryu said, smirking at the stunned face of the bartender before tapping the big Shell clan sitting at the far end of the pub.  
  
(A/N: In my story, people at age of 17 are allowed to consume alcoholic drinks.)  
  
"Yeah?" The man turned, all seven foot six of his build towering over Ryu. He was wearing a purple toga and had grayish skin. He had fists bigger than maces and looked menacing enough to scare off the fiercest warriors.  
  
"Could you arrange for me to be in the fights? I need to see the girl in the Coliseum."  
  
"The only girl, eh? Sure you can beat 'er, kid? She's the champ!"  
  
"We'll see about that." Ryu grinned devilishly, his confidence glowing like an aura of command around him. The Tear flashed Yellow. That was good.  
  
"Feisty, ain'tcha?" Another voice cut in. Ryu turned and was met by a large man nearly as tall and bulky as the Shell clan man. He held an axe that easily dwarfed Ryu and had a long beard down to his chest.  
  
"This is Baba, kid. He just took the last place of participation of the current competition."  
  
"So if I take it from him, I enter, right?" Ryu continued to grin as the man called Baba tightened his grip on the axe. "That should be easy."  
  
That set the apparently bad-tempered Baba off. He roared and charged at Ryu, swinging his axe, wanting to wipe off that stupid smirk off his face. Instead of dodging, Ryu drew out his sword and parried the wild blow. The move surprised Baba, but what really shocked him was that the blow had numbed his fingers. He looked at the spot where Ryu stood and saw nothing. Suddenly, he felt an exploding pain at the back of his neck and darkness engulfed his senses.  
  
"I never would have guessed he was going to be a contender, friend." Ryu said to the Shell clan man, who gaped at Ryu. He regained his composure almost immediately.  
  
"That was.quite the eye-opener. Hmm.Maybe I could get you in, but maybe your name isn't."  
  
"Ryu Bateson."  
  
"Right, right. Your name's gonna be Baba, since he registered his name already."  
  
"It's fine with me, for the time being, even though Baba's a lousy name. What's yours?"  
  
"Rand Marks. Nice to meet you, Ryu."  
  
"Likewise." Ryu shook his hand firmly as the Tear glowed greenish yellow.  
  
* * * *  
  
"It seems Baba is doing well, Marks." Angus Dalan, the owner of the Coliseum spoke as the Armadillo man(I will call him that, cuz 'shell clan man' is so weird!) stood before him.  
  
"Yes sir, though people still bet on the champ to win."  
  
"...I see. You may leave." Angus said mysteriously, making Rand feel uneasy all of a sudden. Then again, he had always felt uneasy around this person.  
  
"Yes sir." As he left, six men entered the room.  
  
"Ah, my good minions. Is everything ready?"  
  
"Yes master."  
  
"Good. Then let's put it in motion. Call Baba here."  
  
Ryu entered the room soon after and greeted Angus. "You wanted to see me, sir?"  
  
"Yes, Baba. I have a preposition for you. I assume you are after the championship?"  
  
"No, sir. I just want to see the girl. I need to ask her about something that is very serious. It could mean my friends' freedom." Ryu said carefully. There was something not right about this man. The tear had never reacted so violently before and now, it glowed from red to dark crimson to black.  
  
Black. The epitome of evil.  
  
"What a shame. You are pretty good, Baba. But I don't think you might win. You see, my.friends will fire poison needles into the arena as the result comes out. We will aim at the former champ to give you a winning chance. Then, you can become the champ-"  
  
"I'll think about it, Angus." Ryu replied guardedly as he swiftly retreated out of the room. Angus grinned evilly as he was out of sight. "I said we will aim at her, I never said we will shoot at her or you, dear Baba."  
  
"What? Poison needles? You are nuts, Ry-Baba!" Rand exclaimed. It was then Ryu held up a unconscious minion of Angus's and a bag of poison needles in front of him did Rand shut up. "Okay, so you were right. Gotta give this antidote to the champ.I'm no good with this, Baba. Why don't you go? Ya know, you are kinda cute-lookin' for girls to look at."  
  
"Geez, Rand. Anyone else would have said that you are just scared of her." Ryu said, flushing from the last statement. He had never really considered himself to be a attractive young man in the eyes of girls, let alone consider any girls to be really his type or attractive. "Alright, alright. I'll do it." He muttered, swiping the antidote from Rand's hand. He walked over to the champ's room and hesitated.  
  
"Ah, what the heck. I'll just going to be leaving this with her, right? Shouldn't be so hard a task. Wonder why Rand is so scared of her." Ryu knocked, only to be answered by silence. He opened the door and stepped inside.  
  
The room was cozy, unexpected from a fighter who had, it seemed, lived here and fight all her life, according to rumours. Despite that, there were no pictures hanging on the wall and such. Ryu felt his eyes wander all over the room.  
  
"Hey! Who are you? What are you doing here in my room?" The feminine voice shouted, bringing Ryu's eyes to bear upon her. The female seemed to be a Woren. She wore a blue bra top, which did not cover up her well-endowed chest very well, complemented with blue boots that showed her clawed toes and blue gloves. She had collar length fiery orange hair and some of it covered her angry green eyes. Her pretty oval-shaped face was set in a fierce scowl as she looked back fiercely at Ryu.  
  
'Wow, she looks good.' Was all Ryu could think of, until the girl stomped up to him, her face bare inches from his. Ryu flushed and looked away.  
  
"I asked you a question, buster! What do you think you are doing here?" The girl scowled menacingly as she raised her staff threateningly.  
  
Suddenly Ryu found out that he had a speech problem. "Erm.ah.well.you see.I was.erm.room service!" He silently punched himself soon afterwards.  
  
"Room service with swords on their backs? Do you take me for an IDIOT! GET OUT!" The Woren swung her staff and Ryu barely dodged it. He still found himself crashing out of her room from one of her flying kicks to his right cheek.  
  
"Owww." Ryu laid on the floor, dazed for perhaps the first time in his life due to an attack from a female. Nevertheless, he still felt admiration for the Woren girl's strength and folly for his own stupidity.  
  
Still, "What a kick." Ryu grinned despite himself, rubbing his bruised cheek.  
  
"So you met the champ, Katt Chuan." Rand's voice floated down to him. Ryu stood up, still dazed, but grinning.  
  
"So that's why you were afraid, big man!"  
  
"Yeah, well, you never seen what she did to things bigger than me."  
  
"Katt Chuan, huh? Interesting. It's gonna be fun fighting her."  
  
* * * *  
  
"Ladeez and Gentlemen! Welcome to the Finals of the Grand Sword championship! The winner of this competition will walk away with a fabulous prize of 1000 gold coins and fame! On my left, we have the grand champion, Katt Chuan!"  
  
"Katt! Katt! Katt!" The excited crowd chanted her name as she made her way onto the arena-seven logs acting as bridges over water. Katt waved to the crowd as she stood impatiently at one end of the center log. Ryu took a deep breath and stepped out as the announcer called for his appearance.  
  
As told by Rand, he was greeted by boos and jeers. He took it in stride as he walked purposefully towards his end of the center log.  
  
"You suck, Baba!"  
  
"Go home and cry to your Mommy, Baba!"  
  
"Your Mother is stupid to give you such a name!"  
  
That wiped off the grin plastered on his face. He glared intensely into the eyes of the person who had said that. He immediately shrank back. Satisfied, Ryu walked up and tried one last time to convince Katt Chuan that she was in danger.  
  
"Miss Chuan, listen to me carefully. You are in grave danger. Angus Dalan is planning to shoot you with a poisoned needle or two, so you gotta let me give you this antidote-"  
  
"What?? A poison needle? Don't make me laugh. Is being despicable necessary for you when you fight?" The Woren girl taunted him. Ryu sighed and took up a fighting stance as the bell sounded, signaling the start of the final match.  
  
Katt rushed straight at Ryu, who did not even have time to draw his sword. He leapt back and drew it, momentarily shocked by the speed of her attack. He got up slowly, holding his sword double-handed for the first time in a long time. Time to get serious.  
  
He charged at Katt this time, doing a speedy forward thrust. As expected, Katt dodged it easily and returned a overhead swing of her staff to hit Ryu, who spun the blade and parried the blow, much to the surprise of the Woren. Ryu pushed back her staff and feinted a left slash, to which Katt reacted. Ryu grinned and jumped up to produce a double-handed cleave attack from the air. Katt simply dodged the devastating blow and the next horizontal slash soon after.  
  
"What's the matter, bub? Can't hit me?" Katt taunted. Ryu kept his cool, deciding that one wrong move could mean the end of the competition and possibly, his life. They leapt atop each log and battled for a while before finally landing on the centermost log again. Ryu purposely stumbled as both of them charged for a final attack.  
  
Katt took advantage of the mistake and immediately swung her staff full force at Ryu's face. He dodged, taking a bad blow to his cheek but that did not stop his maneuver from unfolding.  
  
He dodged the vicious stab of the claw-staff by doing a fancy spin towards the left, so that he is side by side with Katt. Ryu smirked at Katt. "Game over, little kitty." He planted an elbow at Katt's right arm and swiftly swung the flat side of his sword at the back of her neck. Her wide, surprised eyes gradually closed as she fell, unconscious. Ryu stopped her fall and laid her down gently on the wide log. The crowd was silent, but Angus was not.  
  
"Act now!!" The poison needles flew forth and Ryu immediately grabbed Katt, hugging her close to him as he shielded her with his back. He felt three small pricks on the skin of his back and his vision swam. Gritting his teeth, he used the last bit of his strength to kick the locked door apart and stumbled in.  
  
Then, he was embraced by complete darkness and he knew no more.  
  
Attention all readers, this is the author speaking. Plz r&r. I repeat, plz r&r. thank you 4 ur cooperation. 


	4. Chapter 3:Two demons a winged girl and a...

Thx to all reviewers!  
Reyemile-errr.not sure of ur quote there. Could it be it was a bit too violent for ur liking? I could tone that down later on.  
  
Cole W-Thanks man. Glad to know I could actually make it to someone's fav author list. Btw, I've read a bit of NoBaka's story and it is really damned gd.  
  
Silver Kitsune-sorry bout that, but I thought 1 or 2 cliffies would be nice (. I'll try to update my story sooner since you are enjoying it so far!  
  
Gleenthefrog-*grin* keep up the gd work? Sure thing!  
  
On with the story!  
  
Breath of Fire 2: Chapter 3-Two Demons, A Winged Girl and a Gangsters' Place  
  
"Two more minutes, man." Katt giggled, somewhat guiltily as she tried to poke Ryu awake. He had been asleep for two hours straight even after taking the antidote. "What am I going to say when he wakes up? 'Sorry Baba' or 'Thanks for rescuing me'? That sounds so lame.He sure is cute though, for a name like Baba."  
  
"That's what I told him too, Katt." A gruff voice behind her caused Katt to jump three feet high and she turned about to glare at Rand, her face red from embarrassment. "What? It seemed as though you were declaring this to the whole world with that voice of yours." Came the defensive reply.  
  
"Where am I?" The spiky head of Ryu came in view of Rand as he stood up. "Oh, hey, Miss Chuan. So I assume that you are all right? Not poisoned or anything?"  
  
"Nah. Listen Baba, I'm sorry for doubting you and thanks for rescuing me from those needles. By the way, call me Katt. All my friends call me that." The Woren replied sheepishly as she shyly extended a hand to Ryu.  
  
"Geez. The world must have changed while I was out cold. Some time ago you were determined to kill me and now I'm your friend? This is weird." Ryu said with a mock-confused expression on his face, to which Katt made a face in response but eventually smiled at his joke.  
  
Ryu grinned as the Tear turned from yellow to a light shade of green. "Oh yeah, I nearly forgot. My real name is Ryu Bateson. Had to take that dumb Baba name just to enter this competition to meet up with you." "It's not what you think!" Ryu waved his arms frantically as he saw Katt redden and Rand raise an eyebrow. He then hurriedly explained the reason for his entry to the competition.  
  
"I see. So this rumour has got you racin' 'ere?" Rand said. "Hmm.I would like to help ya very much, Ryu, but now I just feel like kicking Augus's ass now, don't you too, Katt?"  
  
"Yeah! Leave the left side for me, Rand!" Came the feisty reply. Ryu chuckled and buckled his sword in place.  
  
"Very well. Seems as if I feel like doing the same to him. Let's go!"  
  
* * * *  
  
Rand charged through the door with Ryu and Katt following through, knocking out all the minions of Augus. To their surprise, he turned from the fireplace calmly and faced them. "So you have come, finally. I was getting rather impatient for your arrival."  
  
"This fight was meant as a nice show for my God, and you have all RUINED IT!!" Augus screamed as he looked at the trio venomously and in front of their very eyes, He transfigured slowly.  
  
His face was twisted in a grimace of pain as his torso, fingers, legs, face grew out brown hair. The extremely loose purple robe tightened to fit his rapidly growing body. Something seemed to twist and turn as it popped out of Augus's shoulder, forming into a lupine head, as did the human head. Two large clubs materialized out of nowhere and the creature once called Augus grabbed them.  
  
"It was nice knowing you, Ryu Bateson, Katt Chuan and Rand Marks. You will be remembered as decent meals!!" The thing slobbered as it rushed forward to attack.  
  
Half an hour later, Ryu, Katt and Rand sat on the ground, exhausted from the battle. In front of them laid the demon-beast, bleeding from numerous sword wounds in his chest and claw-staff wounds on his back with a couple of big, ugly bruises on his face by Rand.  
  
"Argh!! But that doesn't matter.The seed has been planted already.It is a new age.an age of darkness.The age of our GOD!!!Your futile efforts of killing me would avail to naught, fools. Especially you, the Destined Child.HAHAHAHAHA!!" The demon-beast laughed and died in an unholy fire, turning him into ashes while the trio watched on.  
  
Destined child? But that can't be! How could this thing know about his nightmares? And how did it know its real name? Unless he was the nightmare itself.Ryu couldn't help but felt that this was only the beginning of something great and terrible.  
  
"What the hell is he talkin' about? What God?" Ryu heard Rand wheeze as he helped Katt up. "Sheesh, this is too much for me to handle. I gotta get out of this goddamned place."  
  
"I'm gonna follow Ryu." Came Katt's bright voice.  
  
"Wha-"  
  
"Please Ryu. I'm an orphan and have no home. Perhaps you can help me look for one, at the very least, please?"  
  
Ryu sighed. He hated people who pleaded with him, but was particularly annoyed when he knew he had to accede to their pleas. "All right, Katt. You can come along. Rand, if you like, you can come along too. I know of a place, though it isn't much, it is still a place."  
  
"Yay!"  
  
"But," Ryu said with a little grin. "You are going to help out with the repairs of that place, Miss Chuan."  
  
"Yeah, yeah. I know that. Piece of cake for me!"  
  
"Good little kitty! Now let's go!" Ryu yelped as he received a kick from Katt on the butt. Rand laughed and followed the duo out of the door.  
  
* * * *  
  
"Hey, Ryu! You're back!" Bow came running out and greeted his friend with a friendly punch on the arm. "Erm.no offense, but who are these people?" Bow indicated a paw towards the Woren girl and the Armadillo man.  
  
"They are friends, man. Let's go inside so we can talk some more."  
  
"Right."  
  
Inside the slightly roofed Ruins, Ryu enlightened Niro and Bow about his adventures in Coursair, with the help of Katt and Rand, whose extreme novelisations seem to memerise the old man and the Grass Runner.  
  
"That's cool, man! Wish I could've went with you. But I guess I can't. Yet. Rand, could you help with the repairs?" Bow asked.  
  
"Sure."  
  
"What about me?" Katt's emerald eyes were wide and innocent, giving her a vulnerable look as she inquired about what she could do.  
  
"Ah.Katt, maybe you could go with Ryu. He might need some help on finding the thief. Not even he can take on everything, ya know."  
  
"Okay!" Katt said cheerfully as Bow sighed with relief.  
  
"I guess you think she can't handle to repair job, right?" Ryu whispered, earning vigorous nodding from Bow.  
  
"Okay, Katt, let's g-gahhh!" Ryu gagged as Katt dragged him by the collar out the door.  
  
"We will find the female thief for you Bow! Count on us!" She waved happily while Bow waved uncertainly back. "Hope Ryu can handle that girl."  
  
"Where to next, Ryu?" Katt asked eagerly as Ryu sat on a rock to catch his breath.  
  
"Sheesh, slow down a bit! At the rate you are travelling at, even Father Time is gonna lose to you."  
  
"You're getting old, that's all. So where to next?"  
  
Ryu sat silently as he searched his memory. "Oh yeah, Galden(the Hometown guard's name) said something about a girl with wings in the Magic School of Hometown. Let's hit the place and find out more."  
  
"Magic? Can I learn some, Ryu?" the eagerness in Katt's voice doubled. Ryu looked at her skeptically and finally nodded. "Yeah, sure. Why not? It's not like you can't learn that stuff are something."  
  
"Yay! Let's go!" and off she went, dragging a poor, choking Ryu by his collar again.  
  
* * * *  
  
"What's that sound?" Katt said. Ryu's senses immediately woke up and he rushed to the Magic School, where the sound had come from.  
  
He arrived in time to see the gate explode in a flare of fire and lightning and three thugs were thrown backwards from the entrance of the School.  
  
"Excuse me. Are any of you hurt?" A soft voice made its way to Ryu's ears and he turned to see the owner of the voice.  
  
The person was a girl about his age. She had waist-long, shiny blonde hair and even more of it was piled up on her head, just like a pixie's hairstyle. She wore boots that nearly reached her knees and a tight blue dress, which had a slit up to her hips on both sides, showing off the creamy ivory skin of her legs. The dress also seemed to accentuate her every curve, which seemed as numerous as Ryu could count and her well- shaped oval face was complemented with small cherry red lips and sparkling sapphire eyes. Ryu felt his breath caught in his throat but managed to notice her beautiful ebony wings befpre  
  
"What the f**k! Are you trying to kill us?"  
  
"Sorry. But you gentlemen just wouldn't leave me alone and I just couldn't control my magic for a while."  
  
The three thugs surrounded her and cackled. "Come with us quietly to see the boss, Nina. Then maybe he will consider giving you a better life as his personal.assistant."  
  
Three bolts of lightning struck the thugs, stunning them and blasting them four feet away from the girl. "Please don't force me to 'lose control' again. The next time, you could wind up dead. Accidentally." The girl stated with a serious but simple tone. It somehow sounded more like a command to move away from her, Ryu thought, and her tone implied that she had commanded people before. For what, Ryu didn't know.  
  
"We'll be back! Let's go!" The three thugs picked themselves up gingerly and stalked off out of town and the girl, breathing a sigh of relief, walked back into the School.  
  
".That's so cool! Right, Ryu? Hey, hello!" Katt waved a hand in front of Ryu as he stared after the winged girl. He finally snapped out of his little trance when Katt pinched him.  
  
"Oww! Yeah that was cool. Let's go in and let you learn something, right? Then we find out about this winged girl here."  
  
"Okay!" Katt said cheerfully.  
  
They entered the spacious foyer and searched about. Katt had found something interesting on attack magics and had stayed in that particular section of the building while Ryu continued to look for the girl. He finally saw the pair of black wings and approached her.  
  
"Ah, excuse me." Ryu called out to her. She whirled around and sent a Spark spell straight at him. Reflexively, Ryu drew out his sword and tried out his new technique: spinning his sword rapidly so the flames were spreaded out onto his blade, acting as a shield."  
  
"Is it you again? You even have the nerve to enter this place-" Nina stopped as she looked at her 'assailant'. Instead of the rough clothes and shifty eyes and large build of a man, she took in a sheepish-looking teenage boy about her age with spiky blue hair tied in a long ponytail and a round, strong face with startlingly emerald eyes. The tight shirt did nothing to hide his impressive muscles, which were lean and not bulky. She admired them for a while before noticing the slight burns on his hands. It was then she realized her mistake and began to blush.  
  
"Oh, I'm so sorry! I hurt you, didn't I?" She immediately produced bandages from her pouch and bound them around Ryu's hands. "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to-"  
  
"I-It's okay." Ryu stuttered out. "This kind of little wounds don't bother me much and anyway, it is good that you are still on the alert for your assailants, the Joker Gang, from the looks of their clothing." Damned, Ryu thought now I realized something: He had a stupid problem with pretty girls too.  
  
And that was the mere task of talking to them.  
  
" You saw me fighting them?" the girl asked, blue eyes wide with surprise. Ryu could only nod and stammer out a reply. "T-that was some fight you put up."  
  
Damned. Couldn't he say anything better?  
  
"Ah.Thank you. I had to train myself in case I got into this kind of trouble. By the way, my name is Nina Wyndia."  
  
"Oh. You're welcome. My name is R-Ryu Bateson. Nice to meet you, Miss Wyndia."  
  
"Just call me Nina, Ryu."  
  
"Okay." The Tear flared a deep green colour, providing some timely distraction for Ryu.  
  
"What's that?" Nina pointed a slender finger to the jewel. It was encircled by the shape of a dragon, which was made of a rare silvery metal. Ryu flushed and explained the purpose of the Dragon Tear.  
  
"Umm.Well.It shows the emotions that is projected towards the wearer by other people he or she interacts and comes in contact with. For example, if I talk with a person full of hatred, the jewel in the center will glow a bright crimson colour to indicate intense hatred. Now the gem is deep green, so.so it means you are willing to be my friend, or something like that.Actually, I don't know the meanings of some of the colour indicators shown."  
  
"Wow. Can anyone else wear it besides you?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I mean, no offense, but I saw you fingering the Dragon Tear absentmindedly like it was something very precious to you."  
  
"My deceased mother left it for me, to protect me. It seemed as though the Tear doesn't work for anyone else, though."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"It's okay. It's been so long ago already." Ryu trailed off, thinking yet again about how his mother would look like.  
  
Nina shifted a bit uncomfortably and said to Ryu, "Sorry again, Ryu, but I have to report in to Master Yoji for punishment of misusing magic."  
  
Ryu was puzzled. "Punishment? Must be one of the rules of the School."  
  
"Yeah. Please wait a while." Nina said as she walked up the stairs.  
  
"Wait!" Ryu shouted, causing a surprised Nina to turn about. "Erm.L-Let me a-accompany y-you." Ryu stammered as he felt his ears burn. "I need to query you about something anyway."  
  
"Thank you, Ryu." She said softly to him, who promptly indicated that he had to get his companion to come along first. Nina smiled and nodded before watching him zoom towards the 'Heavy duty attack magics' section.  
  
Moments later, Ryu was back, dragging an unwilling Katt towards Nina. "Nina, I want you to meet Katt Chuan. She is one of my friends and a travelling companion." Ryu stated, avoiding Nina's eyes lest he made a fool of himself again. "Katt, this is Nina Wyndia, the winged girl you were impressed with earlier on."  
  
"Wow! Hi Nina! Can you teach me some magic please? Oh, you can call me Katt, by the way." The Woren's excitement reached its peak as she looked eagerly at Nina.  
  
"Hi, Katt. You can call me Nina. I'm afraid I'm not qualified to teach you magic yet. Maybe Master Yoji could enlighten you about magic, though."  
  
"Okay! Just lead me to him, Nina!" Katt giggled like a schoolgirl while Nina smiled, beckoning to Ryu to follow her as she walked up towards the Advanced Magics classroom.  
  
* * * *  
  
"I'm sorry, Master Yoji, I misused my magic." Nina stood in front of a hunchbacked, slight old man, with Ryu and Katt behind her. He looked rather fragile and weak, but one look at his eyes and Ryu knew that his man was a man of great wisdom and magical power.  
  
".Hmm?? Please explain, child." The soft voice of Yoji floated across the room to the trio like a ghost, unexpectedly.  
  
".Recently, thugs from the Joker Gang have harassed me, trying to force me to join them and I had to use my magic to keep them from getting near me."  
  
"Hmm.Self-defense is no punishment, child. There is nothing to forgive." The old magician smiled benignly and walked over to Katt. "And this child wants to learn magic." He stated.  
  
"Yeah! Can you teach me, so that I can take out the bad guys harassing Nina?"  
  
".I don't know, child. Magic takes a lot of time and effort, so I guess if you really want to, then I can teach you some attack spells. But remember, time and effort."  
  
Katt nodded vigorously and the old man let out a hearty chuckle, a deep, rich sound. " You can leave to continue your studies, Nina." With that, he proceeded to teach Katt, leaving Ryu and Nina standing alone.  
  
"Phew. No punishment. I never thought even the Master Magician would bend the rules a little." Ryu said, happy no punishment was given to Nina. "Okay, now it's my turn. Nina, do you know anything a-about the theft of-" An explosion was heard downstairs, immediately drowning out his voice. He immediately drew his sword and headed downstairs with Nina hot on his heels and both of them gasped simultaneously as they saw the same thugs with reinforcements, right in front of a large hole in the wall of the School.  
  
"The Joker Gang!" Both of them said at the same time, making the duo blush. They quickly regained their composure and got ready to battle, only to see a blue-haired girl being held hostage by the leader of the thugs.  
  
A figure found its way to the nasty little invasion by the thugs and two of them went down in pain, clutching their bruised ribs. Katt Chuan stood defiantly in front of the group of a dozen, raging fire burning within her green eyes. "You losers still have the nerve to come back after getting your pathetic little asses kicked by a girl. Wow, the world is really changing." The remark brought about more than a few growls and scowls, but the leader had frozen a strange victorious little smile on his face as he stepped forward to face the raging Woren warrior directly.  
  
"Of course, we have the nerve, miss. Firstly, we have a hostage here and we can kill her if you don't back off and do what we tell you to. Secondly, perhaps the name 'Mina' can persuade cute lil' Nina here to change her mind about joining us."  
  
Ryu blinked. Wasn't Mina the girl he and Bow had helped a little while ago? He turned to look at Nina curiously. She had gritted her teeth and summoned a myriad of energies around her hand, the glow of her aura making her look dangerous and ethereally angelic. "What have you done to her?" The steel in her voice was more than obvious; so much that even Ryu winced. He took a mental note of trying his best not to get on this Winidian's bad side.  
  
"Oh, nothing yet, Nina. But your lil' sister sure is cute. Some my brothers are even thinking beyond that now." Ryu sent the dirtiest look he could muster at the leader while tightening his grip on his sword. Katt followed suit, accompanied with a few growls. "Hey hey, chill man. I did say we haven't done anything yet. But if you don't come, Nina, our brothers might get rough."  
  
The glow around Nina slowly faded as she sighed softly in defeat, contrasting the volcanic glare she had directed towards the leader. "..Fine. I'm coming with you. But if I find out that anything has happened to Mina."  
  
"Yeah, I know, Nina. Nobody likes to be an overcooked marshmallow. Don't worry, babe. Nobody's touchin' Mina.yet." Ryu felt his control over the raging beast in him waver and his left hand developed a new interest for the handle of his sword. He did not realize that he had been gripping his sword until Katt poked him in the arm, a concerned expression on her face. Ryu slowly released the handle and glowered at the leader as Nina followed the group meekly out of the unnatural entrance.  
  
Yoji, who had came down to investigate the noise, sighed in defeat. "The Joker Gang.are going to force Nina to work for them.Please help her!" He implored Ryu and Katt. Katt nodded fiercely, while Ryu looked strangely calm.  
  
"Come on Ryu, let's go get them bad guys!" Katt exclaimed, her voice full of righteous fury. "Don't stand there like a piece of wood, let's go help Nina!" She rushed towards the hole and was about to step out when the ranger's quiet voice stopped her.  
  
"Wait, Katt." Ryu took up a large piece of debris and flung it towards the ground just outside of the hole. Rattling sounds were heard and lethal iron spikes rushed up from the earth, ending any lives that stepped upon the treacherous ground. Katt's heart skipped a beat as her green eyes widened at the sight of the trap and tried to suppress the mounting fear inside her. "The Joker Gang is always up to no good. Gotta take that in mind." Ryu said nonchalantly. But as Katt took a closer look at him, she could see his mouth set into a frown and his eyes tranmitted the message that he is not to be messed with now. Silently, Katt followed Ryu out through the main entrance of the Magic School to look for the Joker Gang hideout.  
  
* * * *  
  
"Alright man, I will tell you! Just don't hit me any more!" The lone Joker Gang member was quite a sight, with the pretty little purple and blue bruises on his face. In front of him stood a angry Ryu and an even angrier Katt whom he had tried to take a few liberties with but was discovered. Katt beat him up badly while Ryu tried to pry information about the Gang's location. The gangster finally relented on the fourth beating. "It is in a cave somewhere." He trailed off and stopped.  
  
"Somewhere where?" The quiet menace in Ryu's voice was unlike anything Katt had heard from him. Even though she had been with him for a short time, she knew that this Ryu was way out of character. The laughing, grinning face was gone and in its place was a brooding darkness, made of menace, anger and threats.  
  
"Okay, okay! The concourse is at the Southwestern part of Coursair!"  
  
"Concourse?"  
  
"It's the hideout's secret name. I'm tellin' ya, they are gonna kill me for ratting on them."  
  
"Then let me save you from such a fate." Those were the final words the gangster heard from the azure-haired teen as he felt an exploding pain at the back of his head and dropped to the ground like a rock. "Let's get to work." Ryu walked on towards the hideout and Katt followed meekly, unsure of what to say to him.  
  
"So this is the hideout."  
  
"Yeah, can't be wrong." Ryu whispered back as the duo hid behind some rocks to watch gang members moving in and out, carrying crates and sacks. The metallic clink confirmed the suspicions of Katt that there was gold or silver in those sacks and crates. Each member had their trademark Joker sign tattoo on their right arm, probably to confirm their identities with the burly and dangerous-looking guard, standing like a ominous statue. As the last gangster got in, Ryu rushed out without a word and swung his sword at the guard. The scuffle lasted for about five seconds as Katt jumped into the fray and knocked out the guard. The stab wound inflicted by the guard on Ryu's chest was not deep, but showed the folly of Ryu's impatient and mad charge. Katt decided not to push her luck to chid him.  
  
"Who are you? Hey, you aren't our gang members! Who the hell are you people?"  
  
"We're mercenaries Joker has decided to hire. Now if you would excuse me, we have important business with him."  
  
The gangster was taken aback and recovered his composure only after scrutinizing them. "All right. In you go, especially you, little kitty." The sentence was unfinished as the man cowered before Katt's threatening staff, making him look like a sniveling fool. Katt grinned maliciously at him before following Ryu towards the 'basement'.  
  
After umpteen times of explanation of who they were, Ryu was starting to think that hacking and slashing through the hideout was a much better idea. He growled in frustration as his imagination wandered, thinking of the danger a certain winged girl could be in. He did not even noticed that he had collided with someone until he felt a little dizzy.  
  
"Wha-???" Ryu looked at the person he had collided with. "Pain? You are a Joker Gang member?"  
  
The man called Pain stood up painfully (no pun intended) and grinned nervously at Ryu. "Er.Hi Ryu. What are you doing here?"  
  
Ryu stared hard at him, then let his face relax into a faint smile. " So this was your 'secret agenda' eh, friend?" He slapped Pain on the back, causing him to stumble forward.  
  
"Yeah, I guess you could say that." The bearded but obviously young man laughed in relief: It seemed as though he was really scared of the ranger.  
  
"Good. So how about paying back your little debt? Take me to the Joker's humble abode and the debt will never exist at all after that."  
  
"Ah hahaha. Sure, why not? My uncle favours me quite a lot, anyway. Let me take you along the safe route; the one without the traps." With that, Pain grinned and beckoned for the two to follow his lead. Katt looked at Ryu with a bemused expression, who simply shrugged and finally showed her one of his trademark mischievous grins as they followed the gangster.  
  
"In there, Ryu Dragonate. You can walk through this corridor and to the last room. That is where all the important functions of our gang are held. My uncle is in there now, so I advise you to wait for his meeting to end before-"  
  
"Will do. Off with you now before I change my mind about the debt." Ryu waved an impatient hand at Pain, who decided that less words from him is a better choice. He hurried off into the darkness that almost swallowed the whole corridor.  
  
Katt looked at Ryu and asked curiously, "What kind of debt was it and what's with the Dragonate name?"  
  
"Oh, it's.I'll tell you some other day, alright? Let's go rescue Nina first."  
  
So it was Nina, Katt thought as she saw Ryu's jaw tighten in anticipation and impatience. She felt a pang of jealousy that the regal Winidian was getting all of Ryu's attention at the moment. But.rescuing people should be one of a ranger's duties.right?  
  
She pushed the cobweb of thoughts aside and decided to concentrate on the task at hand. She carefully and quietly stepped over two unconscious guards and laid down low beside Ryu to listen to the conversation going on between Nina and a roly-poly man, flanked by half a dozen thugs.  
  
"Return my sister to me please." Nina's voice resonated throughout the spacey room. It looked fit for a king and was rather well furnished and would have had a nobleman's standard for a house if not for the natural stalactites and rocks. The fat man sitting on a chair was wearing livery fit for kings and all his six thugs looked as menacing as the longswords they were holding, the blades serrated and gleaming brightly, reflecting the light from the flame torches needed to light up the place.  
  
At one glance, Ryu knew that the fat man was the infamous Joker. The glitter in his eyes showed the extreme greed of certain things and although Ryu thought he was imagining things, he saw a malevolent sparkle in the eyes of the Joker, the same he had saw in Angus's eyes. It was something big, bad and ugly.  
  
It could even be a demon.  
  
The well-nourished man smiled, showing his dimples on his cheeks. "Haha, sure Nina! I will release your sister Mina, but only if you comply with my conditions about working for me. Maybe after that, we could get to know each other much more.personally."  
  
Ryu felt strangely vexed and angry at that statement. Maybe because Nina was his friend.yeah, that's right, he thought. No friend of his is going to meet any sort of harm or abuse as long as he draws breath. He was poised to leap into action but Katt put a restraining hand on his shoulder as she pointed to three new figures entering the room through a side door. A winged girl, shorter than Nina with wings of the purest white and two thugs right behind her.  
  
Mina.  
  
"Mina! Are you hurt?" Nina asked anxiously. Mina nodded, fear written all over her face. She turned to the Joker angrily and in an eerily quiet voice, said, "Return my sister to me now."  
  
"My, Nina. Does that mean you are willing to join my services?" The Joker smiled as though he was a child and had been given a new toy.  
  
"Yeah, Nina, then all of us can get to know you better." The thug 'accidentally brushed his hand across Nina's backside while the other thugs snickered.  
  
Nina had enough. She spun around and a vicious ball of fire flew straight towards the thug and engulfed him in angry flames. The thug fell down, unconscious after screaming his heart out from the pain. He looked black enough to be completely invisible in the night and Nina looked like a vengeance incarnate with the fiery expression on her face. "I'm going to repeat myself: Return Mina to me now or.I'll really get serious."  
  
"Ho Ho Ho! You sure are feisty, Nina. I like feisty women even more, because they tend to play hard to get." Joker rumbled with laughter, his oversized belly bobbing up and down. "Hmm.Let's do this my way. Either you join us, or Mina will DIE!"  
  
Nina froze immediately. The thugs grabbed her by her arms and brought her in front of the gang leader in a kneeling position, so as to force her to agree. Ryu was about to leap to the rescue when he noticed that Katt was missing from her hiding spot.  
  
"Hiyah!" A feminine battle cry rang out as the three thugs guarding Mina were downed by a black and yellow blur of action and attacks. "Ryu, Mina's safe! Do your stuff!" Ryu wasted no time and leapt into action, his long sword held in a double-handed grip, his blade baying for the blood of evil and singing of justice.  
  
Nina swiveled around, surprised. When did Ryu come? No matter, since all that mattered was that Mina was safe. She struggled out of the iron grip of the thugs while they were astounded by the fact that an intruder had arrived and got to her feet. That move, however, saw her backed up against a wall. Three of the six converged on her and she got into a fighting stance. But before Nina could move another inch, the six thugs landed on the ground with an audible thud. Relieved emerald eyes peered into hers the next moment and she squeaked in surprise, even after feeling that those eyes did not belong to anyone with hostile intentions towards her.  
  
"Hey." The familiar voice of Ryu Bateson greeted her. The dancing shadows caused by the flickering flames were finally forced to reveal the handsome face of his. He was smiling, full of relief and he seemed completely relaxed, free of stress and of all malevolent emotions. "Are you okay?"  
  
Nina realized that Ryu was staring and backed away from him slowly. "Erm.Yeah, I'm alright. Was there something strange about my face or anything?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"You were.staring at me."  
  
Ryu blushed, all his composure gone in a blink of an eye. "Oh.erm.that was." He left his words unfinished, fearful of what a fool he might look had those words tumbled out of his mouth. He quickly reverted his attention on the womanizing, greedy gang leader of the Joker gang.  
  
"Oh no, they are all.gone!" He reached for a lever but was blocked by Katt, who decided to take the liberty of clobbering the fat man. She was having the time of her life until a warning shout from Nina alerted her enough to leap out of danger, as loose clods of earth and rocks fell onto Joker. "Augh."  
  
Nina turned to Ryu and Katt as the last, large boulder fell, pinning all the other debris underneath. ".Thank you for saving me, Ryu, Katt. I don't know what could have happened to me or Mina had both of you not come in the nick of time. And speaking of Mina." Nina sent a stern glance at Mina and put her hands on her hips, as though she was speaking to some guilty child. "What in the world were you thinking? Going out of the castle with less than a dozen guards just so you can visit me?"  
  
".Sorry Sis. I just wanted to see you again. It's been so long since I last saw you at the Magic School. I only wanted to get a glimpse of you." Mina looked away, guilt chewing her conscience away and Nina softened her attitude. She was her sister after all, and because of one.reason, she had to be separated from her sister. She had to be exiled.  
  
Just because of that one little reason..  
  
The boulders started to shift and rumble, snapping Nina back to reality. She could see that Ryu and Katt were already poised for battle and were watching the boulders closely. A strange and grotesque voice could be heard laughing and the rocks broke into pieces like shattered glass. In place of them was a fat, purple-skined, slit-eyed demon. His mouth was large enough to swallow possibly three or four men at one go. Without warning, a long object flicked out from his mouth and binded itself around Nina.  
  
"How dare you.HOW DARE YOU HURT ME!" The demon roared in his grotesque voice, the echoes produced by the alcoves only making it sound more frightening. "Hmm.Winidian for lunch, and a beautiful one too. Sounds good to me!" The demon laughed at his own joke and started to 'reel' the struggling winged girl in..  
.Only to feel extreme agony somewhere at the centermost part of his tongue. He looked at it and discovered that half of his tongue was gone and the remaining part was bleeding demon blood and yellowish green bile profusely. The monstrosity screamed in utter frustration and pure anger and charged towards the blue-haired fool who dared to defile his favourite body part.  
  
* * * *  
"Hope she's alright."  
  
"Well, she ought to be. She's a magic spell-caster, or something like that."  
  
"It's magician, Katt. And she doesn't look like the type to be able to hold off her own in a melee combat. Maybe we should let her rest and stay with her until she's well enough to travel. It wouldn't be safe for a girl like her to be all alone; she could get bullied or abused by.scum."  
  
Nina smiled mentally to herself. The care that Ryu was unconsciously displaying towards her warmed her heart, but she decided to surprise the pair, who still did not have the foggiest idea that the Winidian was already awake.  
  
"It's all my fault..If I hadn't been so foolish to run off to find Sis, this wouldn't have happened." the sadness and guilt in the angelic voice of her sister's was enough to make cold-blooded murderers weep. Nina could bear it no longer and decided to open her eyes to look at her rescuers and her sister.  
  
"Finally, you're awake!" Katt greeted her with a bright smile. "Now we can get moving!"  
  
"Hang on a sec, Katt. She's still a bit weak. Can't you see?" Ryu said as he steadied Nina, who had stumbled after standing up. "Can you walk?" Nina looked at her sister and flashed her a tired but reassuring smile. Mina immediately brightened up considerably and hugged her sister tightly.  
  
Nina smiled sweetly at the overly concerned Ryu. "Yeah. I think I'm going to be just fine." Ryu managed to nod, a tomato face nodding vigorously as if to  
  
Was it her imagination, or did her actions somehow make Ryu.blush?  
  
Have to stop spending time with spell books. Nina thought, amused. They sure can alter one's imagination drastically. Smiling to herself, she lay back on the bed and drifted off to a pleasant, dreamless slumber.  
  
How waz it? Please do read and review!  
  
P.S if there are any areas that need improvement, plz do inform me in the reviews. Advice is greatly appreciated and your enjoyment will be magnified if I write a better story with ur advice! 


	5. Interlude: campfire demons and tales

Phew.finally managed to get this done. Sorry to all for the late update, but school's kinda hectic and my computer crashed.*sigh*. Anyway, here is the next chappie, or interlude. Do enjoy! Sorry. Don't feel like mentioning names here yet. But my heartfelt thanks to all reviewers out there! Please do keep reading and reviewing!  
  
Interlude: Campfire demons and tales  
  
"How long is it to Winidia? This is taking forever!" Katt rarely complained about traveling long distances, but it seemed as though even she was at her limit. The azure-haired teenage boy next to her gave her a tired smile and held up four fingers.  
"WHAT!?? Four miles?" Ryu and Nina both covered their eyes simultaneously while Mina giggled. "Can't we rest soon?"  
  
"Sorry, Katt, but no go. To rest on the plains is to knock on trouble's door. All sorts of creatures and monsters could attack us at night while we sleep. I do believe you don't want to be served on a platter for Devilkids or things like that." Ryu replied, grinning at Katt as she pouted at him.  
Nina suddenly stopped, causing Ryu to stop walking and turn to look at her. "What'sa matter, Nina?"  
"Nothing. It's just that I remembered that there was suppose to be a forest near here."  
"Really? Where?" Katt knocked Ryu off his feet as her eager face popped up in front of Nina, startling her. "How near?"  
Nina put her hands on her hips and thought hard. "Erm..About one and a half miles from here, I think." She turned her head in the direction of Ryu, who was practically laughing his head off at Katt, groaning at whatever Nina had just said. "Huh? Did I say anything wrong?" Nina blinked innocently at Ryu, who blushed involuntarily while Mina watched them with an amused and cheerful expression on her serene face.  
"Well, Nina, for starters, half of three miles is quite a long distance and secondly, you have wings while we don't, meaning we have to travel on foot to that forest."  
".Oops. Sorry Ryu. I didn't realize both of you can't fly." Nina flushed slightly and laughed nervously, trying to cover up her little mistake. Katt muttered something incoherently under her breath while Ryu echoed Nina's laughter. "Anyway, let's get going!" Groans came from a certain Woren and a Ranger as Nina made that statement. Nina just floated in the direction of the forest, humming a silly tune with Mina hot on her heels while Ryu and Katt drudged along, cursing the accursed Sun, which cheerfully shone down rays of a gay orange colour and tortured them with waves of searing heat.  
  
* * * *  
"FINALLY! The friggin' forest!" Katt cried out in wholesome relief and flopped down in total exhaustion from their 'little' trek towards the Whisperer Forest. Within moments, she was asleep, oblivious even to an earthquake happening under her. Ryu chuckled quietly as he took out a blanket from his backpack and covered Katt with it.  
"Sleep tight, little kitty." Ryu whispered in her ear. Mina smiled at Ryu's tender actions while Nina felt a small tug within her, and though she did not know where it came from, she did not like the feeling.  
"..Erm.This forest is full of mystery and intrigue. Why don't you go off and explore this place for a while Mina and I fix up dinner for all of us?" Nina's voice pierced through the silence of the forest like a sharpened arrow piercing through an apple. She twiddled her fingers, an act which Ryu had gotten used to even though they had only traveled together for a few days. This meant that she was nervous or she was hiding something.  
Ryu decided that Nina had her reasons for wanting to be alone and respected her decision. He nodded, smiling warmly at her before striding off towards a nearby stream. Nina breathed a sigh of relief as soon as the blue-haired man was out of earshot. Sometimes even she does not understand herself and what she did. Shaking her head as if to clear out that thought, Nina got to setting up a campfire and cooking a simple dinner for their little band of weary and hungry travelers.  
Meanwhile, Ryu, who was trying to fish from the stream, found out that whatever fish that were left in there were smaller than the size of his little finger. He snorted in disgust and threw aside his fishing rod in frustration, glaring out at the sky, which was slowly being blanketed by the twilight cover of the night. He turned his head to survey the surroundings around him and could barely see anything beyond three feet, but the one thing he saw immediately triggered his memories, sucking him into the past.  
"Hey Dad! Let's go already! Yua's been waitin' for a loooong time!" Eight year-old Ryu Bateson hollered, projecting his voice throughout the house.  
"Alright, alright! I'm comin'! Garner replied, rushing down the stairs and carrying something wrapped in satin cloth. "Let's go, Ryu. But don't tell your sister about this present!"  
Ryu gave a toothy grin in reply, signaling his agreement. He looked at the little dragon-woman statue in curiosity. "Did you make this, Dad?"  
"Yup! Did it in a week's time. It was supposed to represent your mother." Garner's eyes seemed to shine with emotion.or was it tears? Ryu did not know, as he himself plunged into his little world of imagination of what his mother looked like. Was she a beautiful lady that could even stir the emotions of the most stone-hearted man, or did she look something like the dragon, all powerful, majestic and terrifying? Maybe one day, he would find out for himself."  
"Ryu.Never mind. Let's go and surprise your sister, alright?" Garner said with a fatherly smile on his face. Ryu nodded and headed towards the doorway.  
And saw a slender hand being waved in front of his eyes. Ryu jolted back to reality.  
.and fell into the river. This was followed by fits of giggles from a familiar feminine voice.  
"So you're awake now, aren't you?" Nina stood before the wet and irritated Ranger, a smile betraying what she felt about the little scene just now.  
Ryu groaned and bristled at Nina, who smiled back cheerfully. He was about to get up by himself when a small devious idea crept its way into his head. "Can you help me up please?" Ryu asked Nina, who nodded innocently and held out her hand.  
Instead of pulling himself up, Ryu pulled the Winidian into the water, earning him a squeak of surprise from her. He laughed heartily as he watched the wet and disgruntled girl curse in her native language, before realizing she was right ON TOP of him.  
"Uh.Nina?" Ryu was sure his face was redder than a tomato farm. "C-Could you.get off m-me?"  
At this point, Nina did realize she was on top of Ryu in a straddling position. She gasped and got off Ryu slowly, not before gazing into his emerald eyes for a few seconds and drowning in them. The blush covering her cheeks was enough to tell Ryu that she felt the same way as Ryu did. "S-Sorry." Nina's angelic voice floated out in a soft tone. The blue-haired teenager gave a nervous smile in response and took sometime to scrutinize her.  
Her clothes clung tightly to her like metal fillings to a magnet, completely boasting her extremely curvaceous figure. Her honey coloured hair was loose from her pixie hairstyle, cascading like waves of gold down her back while the irritated look on her face as she tried vainly to dry her hair gave her a vulnerable and cute look. It took Ryu all his self- control not to drool and make a fool of himself.  
"Is there something strange on me?" Nina asked Ryu pointedly, snapping him out of his little trance. Ryu felt his temperature shoot up for the second time in five minutes. I have to stop this. Who knows when my hormones might finally go out of control? Ryu thought. He averted his eyes as much as possible from Nina and excused himself, saying that he needed a rest before dinner.  
Ryu settled down comfortably at a spot next to the soundly sleeping Katt, something which Ryu would never have imagined. From their traveling, he had known Katt to toss and turn in her sleep, wherever or whenever she slept. He had no time to show his trademark grin, as he thought back to the corroded dragon statue he had seen earlier. It did not look like a regular dragon, at least not the ones he had seen in storybooks when he was young. Despite being damaged almost beyond recognition, Ryu still could not shake off the feeling of fear when he thought about that statue. And when he felt fearful about something.  
It was definitely not benevolent in nature.  
Ryu groaned in frustration. Another mystery for him to solve. And why did it have to concern another dragon? He hated mysteries, especially those that only led to more questions rather than answers. His thoughts were interrupted by a yawn and suddenly Ryu felt extremely exhausted. Was it moments ago he played a trick on Nina? All he wanted to do was sleep..  
"Don't give in, Ryu! Hold on!" The ethereal voice resounded in his head, kicking him out of dreamland before he could even buy the ticket to get in. Ryu jolted awake immediately and sat up, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He must have gasped out loud, because Nina was kneeling by his side, looking rather concerned.  
"What is it, Ryu? A nightmare? Are you alright?" Ryu smiled at her in response to show her that he was fine, though he could have sworn that he saw the statue's eyes shone with a malicious purple.  
Unknown to him, the Dragon Tear flared a warning deep black.  
A chilling wind suddenly blew, and Nina shivered involuntarily, out of cold or unknown fear, Ryu did not know. All he knew was that he somehow felt that there was a dark presence nearby and it was definitely not here to wish him a happy birthday. He drew out his sword, the tension in his muscles building up to the maximum. He drew close to Nina and stood protectively in front of her.  
"Stay close to me. I can sense something.evil here." Ryu's voice came out in an urgent whisper as he looked at Katt. Nina turned to look and realize Katt was STILL asleep despite all the chaos around her. How was it possible for Worens to sleep through these disturbances? They were known to wake up at the slightest sound that seemed suspicious to them, not that any sound was not suspicious to them. Nina began to think. Was it possible the denizen here had taken control of her? Suddenly, she heard a familiar high- pitched scream from behind her.  
"Mina!!" Nina spun around and grabbed her sister, who had her eyes rolled up such that her whites could be seen. Nina gasped and quickly summoned energies for a dispel spell. To her utmost surprise, it fizzled out like the dying flames of an abandoned campfire.  
".Give me your bodies." A ghostly voice floated from the darkness, seemingly surrounding them. An invisible force hit Ryu squarely in the cheek, knocking the wind out of him and giving him a purplish bruise on his face. Without hesitation, Ryu stood up and slashed wildly, chopping and destroying anything that came in contact with his mighty blade, except his ghostly assailant. A howling sound that resembled a grotesque laugh came in response to his actions.  
"Fool! You cannot scratch me with that puny little needle of yours. I thought the Destined Child to be more worthy than this. It seems that I was wrong and you have wasted my precious time!" As the voice spoke, it sounded more and more furious and the wind grew stronger with every word it spoke, threatening to sweep the three girls away.  
Destined Child? How did this being know about the name the demon of his nightmares had given him and why did he know? Before he could try to think of an answer, however, the invisible force hit him again, this time in his solar plexus. Ryu saw stars and real darkness nearly closed in on him but he managed to keep awake and stand up. By now, he could see that the bodies of Katt and Mina were immovable as though they were completely rooted to the ground while Nina was barely hanging on to a tree due to her feather-weight body.  
Ryu was in total despair now. What could he do? He was barely standing upright, the one possible thing-magic that could hit the thing could not be used (due to Nina's predicament) and he could not even see the enemy at all.  
The being's laughter resounded in his head and ears, mocking him, teasing him. His patience was wearing out, as was his endurance. All he could do was watch helplessly as the denizen tear away the last visages of his sanity and life.  
"Don't give up, Ryu! Feel the power within you. Let all the doubts clear away and release your heart and soul." The strangely familiar voice came again and it somehow gave Ryu strength. His senses were reawakened and closed his eyes, trying to concentrate.  
It was only seconds later he heard Nina scream, breaking down his last barrier and restrain on his patience.  
Suddenly, all he could see was a myriad of colours and many unfamiliar faces, so human and yet so bestial at the same time. He could hear wispy voices calling his name, beckoning to him to embrace their call, to accept them, to believe in them. A hand was held out to him.  
.  
.  
. .And he took it.  
The being's laughter of dark triumph was cut short as bolts of brilliant red light seem to burst forth of Ryu. The being froze, suddenly feeling very revealed and vulnerable. Could this be the power of the Destined Child? Was he about to transform into something.different? Something ethereal and full of power? The fear turned to anticipation as the being awaited its new opponent eagerly.  
Ryu screamed as he felt something from within him trying to burst forth and take over his mind, body and soul. Though it was a bit forceful, Ryu felt that it meant no harm and soon ceased his cries, accepting the new entity into him.  
The next thing that greeted him was darkness.  
* * * *  
As the light diminishes, the denizen got a closer look at the being that emerged from the light. What he saw was a gargantuan dragon ruby- coloured skin that breathed fire, hot enough to melt even the most durable mineral. Its body was full of muscle and the movement of its limbs and tail hinted at power unimaginable. What struck the being as odd was that the dragon had green eyes reminding him of raw, uncut emeralds. The being smiled to himself. This was truly going to be an interesting battle.  
The dragon roared and flew straight at the now visible being. It was the complete duplicate of the dragon, except that it had skin that was completely jet-black. The orbs it possessed for eyes were of the same colour, full of darkness. It's mouth curved up into a devious smile and set about giving the red dragon a competition of brute strength. The two almighty creatures clashed and separated moments later, finding each other's strength to be equal. An awesome display of power came when the two creatures took turns to fire beams of dark power and fire at each other, the beams searing large areas of the lush forest, burning any living thing to a crisp. It was absolutely magnificent and terrifying at the same time as the beasts fought and destroyed everything in their paths just to hit the other.  
As time wore on, the darkness of the night faded away and the ethereal dragon suddenly felt a loss of strength. He had spent too much time fighting the dragon and exposure to the blazing rays of the Sun could mean that he would not have even the strength of a human infant. Just as it faltered, Ryu (the red dragon) gave a full-powered blast of fire to the ethereal thing, hitting it in the chest. The thing gave a great bellow and crept away with the rest of the retreating darkness under the overpowering assault of the Sun. "I'll be back for you, Destined One. Remember my name.Rakros.remember the Soul Blighter."  
As the whispers of the defeated wraith faded away, Ryu roared in triumph, the Sun bathing him in glorious rays of light and victory.  
Kinda short, isn't it? It's a interlude after all.( anyway, hope you liked it and plz plz plz review!! 


	6. Author's note cum Apology to readers of ...

Author's Note( That is, if you guys still consider me an author..)  
  
To all reviewers and readers of my story: sorry about the looooong  
  
'break'. There are several reasons why i couldn't continue my story.  
  
They might sound like lame excuses to you but it is the T.R.U.T.H,   
  
so bear with me, please??  
  
reason 1: screwing up of computer system: crashed a dozen times a   
  
day until it was fixed recently.   
  
reason 2: just got into a new college life and boy is it stressing  
  
me!!!!TT tutorials, project work, tests, exams, sports club....okay  
  
I'll stop now...  
  
reason 3: computer became a new club for viruses. ARGGHH!!!! (sorry...)  
  
reason 4: parents. 'nuff said.  
  
And that's it. Anyway, I'll be updating my story a.s.a.p.I swear  
  
upon my honour( although it isn't anything great in my life..) that it   
  
will be at LEAST 1 chapter per month. If you guys ain't satisfied, ermm...  
  
I will just write...more!!! '''  
  
Thank you and sorry for being such an ahole and keeping you guys waiting... 


	7. A little Winidian Adventure, Part 1: Dre...

Hi to all readers!! Sorry about the fact I took so long to update this. The reasons are stated as clear as crystal in the apology previously. Please forgive me!!! :( Anyway, since I am ready to continue this despite feeling the fire of writing flicker in me, I will do my very best for you guys, even if you guys don't review or stuff like that. So here's chapter 4 and I hope you enjoy!! (  
  
Breath of Fire 2: Chapter 4-A little Winidian Adventure, Part 1: Dreams of a Goddess and an unexpected Royal Surprise  
  
"Uh....." Ryu stirred, feeling the piercing and blinding light, which was trying to force open his eyes. "Not happening....." Decided Ryu, as he turned over, determined to ignore the ethereal light to catch some extra sleep.  
  
He lasted only five more seconds when the light intensified, as though it was giving him a piece of its mind for ignoring it. Hr groaned, cursing the stupid light and whatever was causing it before succumbing to the torturous decision to wake up and find out whatever is causing this other- worldly(I think it's a word) light. Ryu grudgingly forced open his eyes against his body's will and sat up. In response, the strangely bright light subsided gradually and a figure seemed to come out of it, walking towards Ryu. Judging from the long hair, slender arms and lithe figure, Ryu deduced that the person was a female. He walked towards her, wanting to seek answers but the woman raised a palm, a signal for him to come no closer.  
  
"Ryu. Ryu Bateson." The woman said in a dreamy voice which sounded youthful and yet seemed to hint that the being that stood before him was ancient, and dangerously powerful. She seemed to be waiting for a response from the young Ranger. He floundered for reasons he cannot think of and stiffly stood straight, now fully awake. Something about this being made him feel queasy and yet, it was as though this unknown stranger was a friend.  
  
Who was she?  
  
"Yeah, that's me. Listen, can I ask you some questions? Where is the Whisperer Forest? Where am I? Who are you? What happened to m-"  
  
"I'll answer your inquisitiveness in due time, young one." The woman said in an amused voice. Had her aura of overwhelming power not been present, Ryu would have snorted at her statement. She sounded no older than him and here she was, a total stranger, claiming that she was his elder. Maybe he should pinch himself and wake up from this absurd dream. He would find himself in the cool, dense forest, waking up and attempting to wake a lazy Woren and two Winidians.  
  
"Oh, but this is all but a dream, Destined Child. In fact, your first Evolution has decimated practically the whole of the Forest and to answer your next question, Katt Chuan, Nina and Mina Winidia are all safe." The figure stepped out of the white light and revealed itself as a young woman of about twenty years of age, her long, silky ebony hair a deep contrast to her smooth, unblemished ivory skin. She wore a crimson silk robe which boasted her figure and she wore a serene smile on her face as she stepped out to meet a surprised Ryu. He gaped at her until he looked directly into her eyes. They were an unearthly, magical golden, giving Ryu a sense of discomfort and uneasiness. Yet he felt this attraction from this woman, a primal need to touch her, caress her and become her servant.....  
  
Out of the blue, Ryu's head suddenly exploded with pain as though there were hammers in it, pounding away at the walls of his consciousness. Alarms blared in his head, telling him to stop having such unsavory thoughts, urging him to step away from this immortally beautiful woman. An internal battle raged within him and he clutched his head, kneeling down and trying to withhold his urge to scream out. Eventually, the protesting side of his being won over and he stumbled back, away from the smiling nymph-like creature, who, oddly enough, seemed to be content with the fact that Ryu had not succumbed to her callings. Ryu panted, sweat trickling down his brow like raindrops on a leaf and he unsteadily drew his sword, pointing it to her as a threat. To his surprise, the woman merely used a bare hand to deflect the sword with her finger and that little action took Ryu by surprise, the sword wrenched from his grasp by a seemingly unknown and powerful primeval force. Ryu, however, was still unable to tear his eyes from her golden orbs of sight. He looked into them and instantly saw strange things revolving in his head.  
  
He saw a blue-haired man together with a white-winged girl and with two other companions, determined looks evident on their faces as they held their weapons. The scene shifts and he finds himself looking at a demented version of the woman, holding twelve keys, each radiating different colours and powers, their glows seemingly amplifying the aura of madness around the woman, dressed in the most inexplicable exotic dress. The image blurrs, and he sees the blue-haired man, transform into something...great and powerful, something which he unfortunately, was unable to see. He roared, the sound radiating vast power and majesty and he saw the blurred image of the transformation charging towards the demented female. The scene shifts again and Ryu finds himself looking at the demented woman in a sorry state. Her once glorious body was now a mass of bloodied wounds, bruises and mutilations. Her beautiful face was distorted, a grotesque mask of madness and death. Even as her keys were scattered around her, blackened and useless, twelve beams of light shot out from the twelve keys, forming a single ball of light which eventually entered the madwoman's body. The light brightened and a demonic scream was heard...  
  
.....And Ryu came back from his dream-world, panting and staggering from the mere visions he saw by looking into the woman's eyes. He fell on his butt, sitting down, feeling for the first time a sense of complete hopelessness and unbridled fear as he looked at the woman for confirmation.  
  
The woman was no longer smiling, but neither did she radiate malevolence to Ryu as she nodded, a solemn and sad expression present on her face. "To answer your query, Ryu, yes, I am the reincarnation of the legendary Heaven's Succubus, the Goddess Tyr."  
  
"Y-You are the demented woman!!" Ryu stuttered, this time for an entirely different reason than being at a loss in front of females. He felt sweat pouring down now, soaking his collar and down his Dragon Tear, which glowed a cheerful yellowish-green in contrast to the fear Ryu felt.  
  
"Wait a minute, yellowish-green? That means-" Ryu looked at his jewel skeptically, unable to comprehend whether the immortal standing proud before him was a friend or foe.  
  
The Goddess giggled a soft, pleasant sound which sounded like crystal bells. "I hold no hostility towards you, Ryu, or any of your brethren. This is, after all, the new me. My past is dead, thrown into the fire of rebirth and turned to ash, blown away by the winds of change. There is no reason for me to destroy or to dominate. None of those matter now. All I want to do is to help." Her expression changed from having a serious look to a cheerful, almost child-like expression. Her smile seemed to brighten up her features more than ever as though the light behind her wasn't enough, in Ryu's opinion, Goddess or not, she looked completely like a celestial angel of beauty. "I'm glad you didn't succumb to the callings sent out by me. You see, despite being reborn, I still retain some of my old traits and powers which would show up unexpectedly. I wasn't planning on letting you in on some of the things you have seen for I know you are not ready for 'it' yet. You still have a long way, Destined Child."  
  
"Huh? Ready for what? What's with this 'Destined Child' tag on my head? Even that monstrosity I fought in the Forest called me that, then there was that Angus guy who turned into some two headed lupine creature. What's going on, Goddess Tyr? Who am I truly?" Ryu shouted out complete frustration, unable to bear the burden of unanswered questions rampaging through his head like a mad herd of stampeding Thunder Lizards. He seemed to be attracting lots of attention from unwanted figures and he desperately wanted to know why he was so important in one way or another.  
  
"The time will come, Ryu. For now, try to control your first Evolution. There are people out there who can see you with their hearts and are linked to you through blood. We will meet again when the time is ripe." With that, Tyr walked back into the light, ignoring the screaming queries from the teenager. She nonchalantly waved her left hand and Ryu suddenly felt his movements slowing down. The intoxicating feeling of drowsiness slowly invaded his senses, coaxing him softly to submit to its seductive call and give up. Ryu protested mentally, but with each staggering step he took, the inexorable and unstoppable invasion brought him to his knees and the last thing he saw was the blurred image of a figure engulfed in white light, smiling at him benignly.....  
  
"Ryu, Ryu! Wake up! We planned to reach Winidia today, remember? And I thought I was the heavy sleeper.....Come on! Lazy bones! Open your eyes and get up!" Ryu stirred, knowing that that extremely annoyed voice belonged to his Woren friend. He pretended to sleep just to annoy her for fun, something which was a bit difficult to pull off since he was feeling more dead than alive at the moment. Must have been the fight the night before.....  
  
"Won't wake up, huh? Well, how about this?"  
  
"W-Wait, Katt, it doesn't look like a good idea to-"  
  
One second later, a loud splashing sound was heard followed by a "AHHHHHHHHH!" reverberated throughout the forest. An Owlbear stopped his hunting in surprise and looked on quizzically as a green-eyed Woren who was laughing her head off sprinted by as though her life depended on it with a red-faced and extremely wet blue-haired Human hot on her heels, who was by no means pacified by a Black-winged Winidian flying alongside him, trying to calm him down.  
  
"KATT! HOW DARE YOU USE WATER TO WAKE ME UP! YOU ARE SO GOING TO PAY FOR IT!!!!" Ryu shouted, his little joke on Katt forgotten as he chased the culprit of his unexpected early morning bath with an 'evil' vengeance. The mischievous suddenly braked and pointed behind him with an exaggerated astonished look on her face. Ryu turned around and came face to face with the dark-winged Winidian, who was smiling.....devilishly?  
  
Before he knew it, he was spluttering from the bucket of water Nina had decided that that was the best reward for his curiosity. This of course earned a humorous roar of rage from the Ranger as he turned and set his sights on his new target, determined to succeed in his mission, which was to capture one of the girls and torture them with the fatal tickling techniques he had learned from Bow some time ago. Both girls laughed at his "bestial" facial expression and ran or fly) off as quickly as they could while an on-looking Mina giggled at the childish actions of the three teenagers. At least her sister was happy for now. From her expressions and her actions during the time when they were traveling towards Winidia, she had seemed troubled by something and somehow always managed to evade her questions about what was bothering her. Mina felt a small pang of pain for being ignored and for not being able to console her doting sister but her innocence has all but denied her the fact that there might be some problems which even sisterly love and understanding will never be able to solve fully. Knowing Nina, she would probably try to bottle up everything up within herself and attempt to solve it. Knowing her, she would never want to trouble anyone with her problems and despite being her sister, she never did seem to earn the attention or even the natural concerns of Father and Mother. It fact, both of them were the ones to send Nina away. For whatever reason, Mina did not know. But she was determined to make sure that Nina stays in the palace with her and be reunited with her family once again.  
  
"Mina! We are leaving! Let's go!" Ryu's voice rang out to her like a ringing alarm clock, snapping her out of her thoughts. She smiled cheerfully and floated over to the quiet trio who were surprisingly feisty for their age. "All we have to do is bring you to Winidia right? Then our job is done....." Mina could tell that there was a feeling of disappointment in Ryu's voice. She grinned to herself mischievously and found it weird that a child such as her could understand other people better, be it Ryu or Nina.....or Katt. It was going to be complicated for them.....  
  
"Aren't you excited to see Mum and Dad again, sis?" Mina asked out of the blue, catching the older winged girl by surprise. She wasn't really excited about the prospect of meeting her.....parents, who probably had no reason to make sure that she stayed with them unless the situation becomes complicated. Sent away at the age of six, Nina could still remember the bitterness she had harboured in her heart for more than five years before it seemed like a faint wisp of smoke in her memory. She believed her parents, no matter what they did to her and she hoped that one day, the curse on her can somehow be lifted. She sighed. It was not going to be a pleasant meeting, at least for her and there was going to be disappointment waiting in store for her sister if she believed that there was going to be a happy family reunion. Nina decided that telling her sister the truth behind her exile could wait for a little while longer for she did not want to let the innocence of hers be whittled away by the harshness of reality and the sad truth behind her exile. Maybe, one day, her sister will be able to understand and not hate her for leaving the kingdom, for leaving her alone again.....  
  
"Finally! Winidia's just upfront! Come on guys!" Katt exclaimed with enthusiasm, partly due to her fatigue and partly due to her curiosity of the mysterious "City of Wings". Ryu looked up and held his breath as he took in the splendour of the city. The gates were made of a wondrous purplish-silver metal known to Ryu as DarkSteel. Upon the magnificent gates, there were carvings of winged people holding weapons of war and the shining ornate gold statues which stood on either side of the gates were imposing as well as amazing in which the intricate carvings of different symbols which the Ranger could not understand. From the corner of his eye, he could spot Katt gaping at the gates itself, which were not as impressive as the buildings and the visible castle of the rulers of Winidia. The gate seemed to pale in comparison to what the castle was. Towers of old loomed over in a benevolent manner over the city like ancient and rightful guardians, ready to defend its citizens from any imminent threats. The towers were made of a material whose colour was almost different than that of ivory, and probably no less valuable. The main building of the castle seemed to give out a light of its own and bring an angelic look to it. But what really topped it off was that the castle seemed to be floating on gigantic clouds. Despite having traveled to various places, Ryu never really visited this country, let alone saw such an impressive sight before in his life. Seeming to read her friends' thoughts, Nina smiled sweetly and watched them gap quietly and counted down.....  
  
"Hey, Nina! How did the castle float on such insubstantial clouds? Is it magic?" The stars in Katt's eyes were enough to make her back away a bit. Nina laughed and replied, "Yes, it is partly due to magic that the castle could float. But it is also due to the layers of energies from this particular piece of land which enables our flying abilities to be maximized. The land contains four layers of energies: the first one is the most basic concept of Wing, in which is the beginning process when we are toddlers, where we learn to fly. These energies are channeled from the land to the air in a process called the Allendria Effect, where when the Sun rises, the light projected onto the land lures out the energy of the Wing layer into the air and into us. Of course, we have to keep in touch with Mother Nature unless we don't want to fly around too much."  
  
"Wow! That's so cool!" Even Ryu was listening. Nina smiled happily and explained further.  
  
"Yup! The second layer is the Float layer, which is practically like an upgrade of the Wing layer. As we grow, we learn to be more capable in controlling our floating and can start out on flying at higher speeds. This will be a bit more complicated though, for this stage is usually during our teenager stage of our lives and that is also when we undergo puberty. The Float energies will then adapt usually to the physique of our bodies and that will mostly determine our speed of flying and our endurance. The Float also ensures that we can soar higher and further into the skies. That's when the issue of worried parents comes in play." Nina winked, eliciting pleasant laughter from her sister and friends at her little joke. "The third layer is the Wind, which is a special case in the sense that usually only the stronger Winidians can reach that stage. This is the stage where we are allowed to use the air as a weapon and draw powers from nature to aid us in different things. Usually spell-casters and priests of our race are able to reach these heights of power. For the warrior class, the storm would be used differently. They can use the Wind layer to speed up their flying to extreme speeds to fight and look for people when the need arises. The fourth layer would be the Storm, which involves the wizardry behind the floating castle. It materialise the insubstantial things of nature and use them in various ways. At this point, it will also involve more powerful attack magics such as the Sonic Boom spell as a firmer grasp of the layers would summon more power from nature itself."  
  
"The last layer would be the Sky layer. This is the ultimate layer discovered by the Great Allendria Stormwind, the greatest mage of the ancient times. This is the layer where the most powerful spells can be used and massive amounts of energy can be drawn not only from the air, but from the other three elements of fire, water and earth. With the manipulation of this layer, we are given the power to summon certain creatures and elementals. The last part of this would be that we will be allowed to transform into what the people in the ancient times call the 'Great Bird'. For some reason, though, we are unable to achieve this level of power despite the great efforts by our wiser and more powerful mages currently."  
  
Ryu grinned. "This is all a bit complicated to me, but I believe that even though you might be a few times younger than those old men trying to achieve the highest level of power, you will be the first one to succeed in achieving that level. That's what you want, right?"  
  
Nina gasped in surprise. "How did you know? Can you read minds or something?"  
  
"Nope. But you describe it so much in detail and your eyes had that look which tells me that it is one of your dreams to reach that goal of yours. How else would you be so knowledgeable about this kind of magic stuff?"  
  
".....Oh. Hey! What do you mean by 'how else would I be so knowledgeable?' What's that supposed to mean?" Nina frowned, advancing slowly on Ryu threateningly while Mina giggled at Ryu's little joke. Ryu nervously backed away and into the opened gate of the city. Nina was about to pounce on him and try to pummel him when Katt interrupted their moment of fun.  
  
"Can we go now? I want to rest first then take a tour of the city!" Katt didn't know what possessed her. She was never the party pooper for people, unless it concerned bullying and crimes. Maybe she was just truly tired, curious and annoyed.  
  
Annoyed? At what? Why would she be annoyed at anything now? It wasn't like she disliked seeing Ryu having fun with.....Nina or something......right?  
  
Ryu jumped out of Nina's grasp, thankful that Katt had saved him for the moment. He had always wanted to visit the city of his dreams. The floating castle, the winged people of this city....But the touring could wait, as they had to bring back Mina to her parents. Come to think of it, Ryu was extremely curious about the young Winidian when Nina had chided her for not bringing out 'at least half a dozen guards' with her. According to the Ranger, he remembered that Winidian soldiers were relatively professional and that only the most elite of guards were hired by the Winidian nobility. What's more, how can a fifteen year-old girl like Mina be able to go out despite having guards? Weren't her parents worried about her safety? That should be the case, unless those guards were trusted THAT much.....  
  
"This is all too puzzling. But at least the riddle will be solved sooner or later. There's bound to be some people who will recognize her. She is, after all, the nobility." Ryu thought as the group walked past the open gates of the city. It didn't take more than one minute for his theory to come true.  
  
"Princess Mina! Are you injured? What happened to you? We were so worried!" A blonde-haired Winidian, dressed in livery of the finest cloth which covered the top half of a intricately designed suit of golden chainmail. He had sky blue eyes and his features were sharp and although he did not have the looks to make girls swoon and bow before him, he did look good. The jewel encrusted rapier and dagger by his side told Ryu all he needed to know about what kind of lifestyle this Winidian was living. He did not really seem overly concerned with Mina, however, as Ryu could detect the lack of sincerity in his voice. This Winidian gave him a bad impression and he was very sure that they would definitely not be very good friends. Ryu did not miss Nina's resigned sigh either. It seemed to him that Nina probably had something to do with this Winidian and she didn't like it. "But what really surprises me is that Mina is a princess! So we have been traveling with a Winidian princess all the while." He turned to look at Nina and realization struck him. "If Mina's her sister, then that would mean..... "Nina's a princess too!" He turned to look at the person of his thoughts (nope, no romance yet.....:P) with an astonished look. Nina turned and gave him the same resigned look which seemed to transfer the message of "Yeah, I'm a princess. So what?"  
  
"I'm fine, Stormwind. Its all thanks to Ryu and Katt for rescuing me and Sis from danger." Mina smiled sweetly despite detecting that the concern for her safety was not authentic. The Winidian smiled and turned to the group, immediately floating over to Nina and held her hands.  
  
"Are you alright, princess? Your sister has informed me that you were in danger. I'm most worried about you, since you started learning magic and went out traveling most of the time. There are always dangers out there, and yet you don't allow me to travel with you. I could always provide enough protection for you....."  
  
Ryu could almost hear Nina sigh as he saw her taking her hands out of his grasp with some difficulty. "Thank you for your concern, Kendrick Stormwind, but I can take care of myself well enough. What's more, my friends, Ryu Bateson and Katt Chuan here can defeat any dangers we encounter. In fact, Ryu had just defeated eight Deathpedes at one go. Isn't that right, Ryu?" Nina turned to smile at the Ranger, who blushed ever so slightly and nodded a quick response before making a fool of himself. Damned, sometimes praise can get him in the worst situations possible.  
  
Kendrick raised a skeptical eyebrow even though he had to admit silently that this teenager did look SOMEWHAT impressive. Nina was also known to tell the truth most of the time. He had to watch this teenager. There was something.....weird about him and it had been so long since Nina was back, about two months to be exact and he did not want to let her go again this time round. Manners destroyed his desire to dismiss the Woren and Human commoners away and he bowed, saying a quiet but polite 'Thank You' before turning to hold Nina's hand again. "Come, princess. It would be safer in my home, lest your parents bundle you out again. Let my most trusted aides escort Princess Mina to the Sky Palace." With a snap of his finger, four burly looking Winidians clad in platemail appeared from nowhere and slowly escorted Mina away, her protests obvious as she did not want to leave her sister as she still believed that her parents would receive Nina with open arms. After all, they had not seen her in eleven years. Surely they would want to keep Sis close to them now. However, Mina knew better than to resist against the aides. Kendrick Stormwind was a dangerously powerful person in the Royal Winidian Council and she decided that her parents would sometimes listen to the descendant of the most powerful mage rather than their fifteen year old and still naive daughter. Mina floundered about for a situation but could find none. Was she really going to lose her sister again?  
  
Seeing Nina's pained face, Katt had a strong urge to step up and punch the suffering Winidian's lights out. She was only restrained by an equally irritated Ryu, who shook his head and said, "Let's just follow them, alright? No violence.....yet." Katt nodded her approval, gingerly touching the spot where Ryu had grabbed her arm and restrained her. It was a firm grip, but she felt a bit.....floaty. Must be the fatigue she felt Katt thought silently, trying to shake her head free of the web of thoughts of a certain blue-haired guy. Something was definitely wrong with her today, she decided.  
  
"At least let them come in with me. They did rescue me after all." Came the protesting voice of Nina. Katt looked up to see a sighing Kendrick who nodded his reluctant approval. Apparently, he did not trust the people of other races such as Ryu and herself. Even though she found herself disliking this Winidian, Katt was curious to find out more about her friend, who apparently was a princess. That came as a surprise to the Woren, who always imagined princesses to be prissy, stubborn spoilt brats and yet, here was a princess who was not only the total opposite of her imagination. She was also an accomplished mage (in Katt's point of view) and was able to fend for herself. She had once heard from her teacher of martial arts that 'curiosity kills the cat'.  
  
"Well, let me prove that proverb wrong." Katt grinned and followed Ryu, Kendrick and Nina into the mansion looming like an ominous storm before them.  
  
"Okay, spill. What's the story between you and him?" Ryu demanded as the noble known as Kendrick Stormwind went up to his room to change. He felt extremely irked and a strange new emotion boiled within him, threatening to spill over. Nina sighed, as though she had expected that question. She then began to tell the whole story about Kendrick Stormwind.  
  
".....Alright. Kendrick Stormwind is the direct descendant of Allendria Stormwind, explaining why he has so much influence and power in the Council. He has magic coursing through his veins, but he is more of a warrior as both of you had seen from his armor and military colours. He has learned the tiniest bit of magic though, thus earning him the title of "Mage-Knight" despite disapproval from veteran officers. He then took the post of the Captain of the Royal Guards. Before you ask about 'our' history, let me tell you that we were supposed to be in an arranged marriage. We met two or three times. The first time was before I was sent away, the second was when I returned two years ago and the third was just now." Nina finished in one breath while unclipping and clipping her hair back again. Katt was rather amused by the fact that Nina seemed so.....uncomfortable. She had never seen her friend act this way before. Was this something which had been troubling her all the time?  
  
"Erm....." both girls' heads whirled at the sound of Ryu's uncertain voice. "So.....do you.....l-like h-h-him?"  
  
Damned the stuttering. And why did he have to ask such a stupid question when there were so many other topics to talk about? Where was the confident and cocky Ranger now?  
  
Nina was slightly surprised and touched. While traveling with them, she had always thought that Ryu was only a merrymaker with dangerous sword skills to boot. Never did she imagine in her dreams that the brave and yet shy (when it came to girls) warrior actually cared about her. The knowledge that Ryu was concerned emanated a fuzzy feeling in her, something which she had never felt before. Could it be.....no it couldn't be. She did have a good impression of Ryu: The spiky blue hair went perfectly well with his bright, attractive emerald eyes which seemed to hold immense knowledge and deep emotions. Sometimes she would just prefer to drown in them forever, looking deep into his inner being and trying to prise open the shell of his feelings. Was this.....love? Nina stopped thinking, trying to process the reactions her feelings had. She was attracted to Ryu inexplicably.....but to her, it probably was too early to figure out her mixed emotions right now. She had more pressing matters at hand and they had to be dealt with quickly.  
  
"Nina? Hello! Anyone home?" Nina blinked and saw a gigantic paw waving right in front of her face. She yelped in surprise and nearly fell to the floor. Katt giggled while Ryu continued to stare at her solemnly. "Wow, what happened to him? Why doesn't he laugh at me like he usually does?" Nina pondered as she turned to look at Ryu quizzically.  
  
Ryu struggled to restrain his raging blood cells and trying to keep as calm as possible, asked Nina with the straightest face he could muster: "Do you.....like him?"  
  
"Ryu?"  
  
"Yes?" He dreaded the answer.....  
  
"Erm.....your face is all red. Is something the matter? Are you sick?" Nina floated towards him and put a hand on his forehead and at the same time, placing her face bare inches away from Ryu's.  
  
".....Eh? Wha-no! I'mnotsick! Every dandy is just thingy! I-I mean everything is just dandy! Don't worry about me!" Ryu laughed nervously as he slowly backed away from the Winidian princess. With a "Ineedtousethewashroom!" excuse, he fled as fast as he could from the well-furnished living room. Katt frowned purposefully while Nina blinked innocently, not knowing that there was someone watching them from the shadows.  
  
"Hey Nina, I heard that Storewind guy saying something about you being a princess and being exiled by your parents. What's going on?" Katt queried, determined to keep Ryu out of her topics of questions currently.  
  
Yet another sigh. Nina gestured for her to sit down and carefully chose her words. "His name is Stormwind, Katt. Regarding my exile, its going to be a long story....."  
  
To be continued.........  
  
Too much? Too little? Personally, I thought it was a bit too much; the pace might be a bit slow for you guys and this probably isn't the best you guys have seen from me so do kindly review my story if you really desire to do so. I'm open to all suggestions and criticisms due to heavy schoolwork and thus, am unable to concentrate more on this. Watch out for part 2 of the story! Lastly, thanks to all readers for kindly spending your precious time reading this average story, regardless of whether you review it or not. See y'all in part 2!!! ( 


	8. author's note again

Author's note: short and sweet!

Dear readers:

I would just like to tell all readers of my story that I am very sorry for not writing for such a damned long time. The thing is, I just had examinations and my computer was down for a rather long time. Adding to the fact that I recovered from some physical and mental injuries, I now look forward to delighting you(if possible) with new chapters and possibly, new stories. Cya all!!


	9. A little Winidian Adventure, Part 2: Win...

Hey y'all readers! Man......I was hoping for a least 10-20 reviews before I continue on this. Having not updated for so long.... ï I lost all my usual reviewers but I guess that was my own fault....sigh....Anyway, that would seem only a minor loss since my primary purpose was not to get as many reviews as possible. All right, on with the story! Thank you to all reviewers (especially beamer) and readers!!! Enjoy!

Breath of Fire 2: Chapter 4-A little Winidian Adventure, Part 2: Winds of the Past, Wings of Change... 

"It's a girl!" The Winidian doctor squealed in genuine delight, holding up a newborn babe in his gnarled hands. The wailing of the new infant did not go unheard as a tall and powerful man in his late fifties literally flew into the bedroom, startling the people in there. Ascorr Wyndia, the fifth-generation King of Winidia looked down at his lovely wife, Corwen Wyndia, who laid in the royal bed, looking as tired and helpless as the baby she had given birth to. She flashed a weak smile at her husband in response to his genuine look of concern to reassure him that she was fine.

"She will grow up to be a fine lady, Your Majesty." The Royal Mage Lillian Stormwind bowed to the awe-inspiring monarch, smiling as she did so. As one of the most prominent Wind Seers of her time, Lillian was present to foresee the future of the future heir to the Winidian throne-something she had been doing for the past three centuries. She was the only Seer to have lived for more than their normal average lifespan of a hundred and seventy-five years. Despite that, Lillian Stormwind looked like she was no older than the young Queen herself. There were hardly any wrinkles on her face; her movements radiated nothing but youthful vibrancy and energy and her flawless ivory skin gave people reason to suspect her of conducting sacrificial rites and casting demonic spells to maintain her youthful appearance.

The rumors did not bother her, but what really irritated her sometimes was that the Council had to rely on her time and again to solve 'storm in the teacup' problems even though it was within their power to take care of them. Having served three generations of royalty did not bode well with her temper. She tires of the strife between the Gargoyle Raiders and the Winidians, of the internal struggle for power in the Council and of all conflicts deemed as unnecessary. Maybe after the Northern Border Wars, she could retire and find some nice, quiet mountain to live on, unperturbed by the troubles of mortals.

"We shall name her Nina Eraine Wyndia, after her grandmother, how does that sound, dear?" Corwen Wyndia spoke in a frail voice, snapping Lillian out of her thoughts. She turned in time to see the King nod his elated approval. Somehow it was amusing that the King, well-known for his quick temper and quicker sword hand had such an expression of childish delight on his face as he bore the babe in his arms.

"No...it cannot be! What nonsense is this? Pray tell me the real truth, Seer!" Ascorr had a desperate look on his face as a young Nina snuck a peek from behind the doors. She was two years of age and had learnt to walk and even speak, much to the delight of her parents. Usually, a Winidian takes up to five or six years after birth to talk or walk. Her hair was already growing and reaching waist-length while her sapphire eyes, usually sparkling with purity and happiness were now clouded over by fear. Although she could not understand what her father and the friendly magic-woman was talking about, it looked to be very serious. In fact, it was the first time Nina had seen her father fly into such a terrible rage.

".....I'm sorry, your Majesty. It is as clear as crystal. Nina will become the 'angel of apocalypse' of our kingdom. It is as prophesied. The visions were so real that even I had to reluctantly accept the truth-"

"There is no truth, Goddamnit! It has to be a lie! How can she possess the power to destroy us all? How can my daughter even do such a thing in the future?" Nina was really scared now. Her father was so livid that he had a few veins visibly popping up from his temples and his face was a dangerous hue of red and purple. Nina would have laughed at that weird coloration if not for the grim situation.

"Ascorr, get a grip! I might have mistaken the time of Winidia's...destruction, but my vision will never be wrong about Nina! She is the one who will doom us all, whether you like it or not!" It seems that even the magic-woman was getting frustrated and tired of this argument. Nina began to tremble in fear. What could be so serious to trigger such drastic changes over her loving father and the amicable Aunt Lillian?

"The black wings......Can it be true that the prophecy has a twist? Can it be that those two evil things growing from her back are nothing but a normal pair of beautiful wings?" Ascorr's voice hinted at desperation, a feeling which was most unfamiliar to the lion-hearted warrior king.

"I don't know, Ascorr. It is hard to say whether the legends passed down by our ancestors are true or not. All I can say is that if we want to protect Nina from bloodthirsty mobs in case of a calamity really occurring, we should send her away at an age where she could more or less fend for herself. I can sense great magic power coursing through her blood. If she harnesses that power well enough, she could protect herself. But if she uses it in the wrong way......" Her words trailed off and even though the King knew what she hinted at, he was finally resigned to the fact that he had lost this argument. Lillian was, after all, one of his most revered mentors. He heaved a sigh of resignation and left through a side door without noticing his daughter hiding in the shadows, trying her hardest to stop shaking and stop breathing.

Her presence did not go unnoticed by the magically vigilant Royal Mage, who decided that the princess was better off knowing about her fate later than sooner, as it might mar her happy childhood with dark dreams and black wishes. Shaking her head and cursing silently at the Fates for such a cruel arrangement for the Princess, She faded away into the deeper parts of the castle for purposes unknown.

Meanwhile, the young Nina did not understand much of what was going on, but came to a conclusion that they main topic was about her as her father had mentioned "my daughter". But what could it be? Could it be about those two shiny things on her back-something which the adults call wings? She jumped up in fear as a bolt of light illuminated the interior of the castle through the window. She shrieked and ran off to hide in her big, cozy bed which she called her shelter from the scary flashing lights outside.

"Hey, Sis! Catch!" A bubbly and cheerful ten year-old Nina Wyndia shouted to her sister Mina, who was one year younger than her, throwing the ball into the air for her to catch. The happiness at the birth of her sister was only soured by the death of her mother shortly after. Mina Elaine Wyndia, the 9 year-old princess ran forward gleefully to catch the ball. The shorter and younger girl had shoulder-length azure-colored hair and sparkling green eyes, but what caught the attention of the people around her was her smile, full of warmth and innocence. At a far corner sat another youth, who goes by the name of Kendrick Stormwind. He was staring, entranced by what he considered beauty of Nina. He had only arrived in the castle shortly after his magic training with his great-great grandmother-or something like that in the Wind Mountains and had just arrived as the named successor to his great-great-no, to his "ancestor", the great Lillian Stormwind. There were quite a few jokes made about his "fair-haired hero" image due to his blonde locks, but those responsible for that were scared by the amount of magic he could wield at the tender age of ten. He was by no means malicious, or at least that was what Nina thought at first when she saw him. For some reason unknown, that boy's face seemed to redden when she called him over to join the both of them in playing. Was it because the weather was too hot for his liking-since he had been living in the mountains for ages?

Naturally, Kendrick warmed up to the both of them and his happiness at making new friends overcame his shyness and his sullen face transformed into a bright and cheery one. He seemed to particularly stick close to Nina than anyone else but usually keeps quiet, his shyness silently conquering him and stripping him of his confidence, something which he displayed unerringly while weaving the most intricate spells available to him in his stores of knowledge.

"It wasn't until at the age of twelve did I know why he reacted in such a funny way around me." Nina sighed as her road trip down memory lane with Katt Chuan halting momentarily, jolting the entranced Woren out of her stupor.

"Yeah, well, anyone could have guessed that!" Katt scoffed, not unkindly. But she did still think Nina was somewhat of a klutz, despite her regality and magical talent......

"Not me," Nina giggled, the sound akin to the soft chiming of wind chimes to a certain Ryu Bateson, who was hiding in a dark corner and trying to regain his composure.

He wished he had taken lessons with his mysterious mentors about handling girls.

"But you haven't told me why you were exiled! Was it because you were a different magician or something?"

"No, Katt. It all began with the prophecy about the 'black wings of the Apocalypse'....."

"No! I forbid you to venture any further than the palace!" Ascorr shouted again, but this time out of worry and anger for his thirteen year-old daughter. Nina tried her best to show her anger at the imperious figure of her father with an impertinent stare but failed miserably. She pouted and began to beg her father again.

"But why? Even Mina can get out of the capital and fly about freely with the clouds and sing with the birds. There's such a wondrous and new world out there for me to explore, **Father. **Why can't I go out? I'm older after all, and you said you wanted me to experience new things....."

The King sighed heavily. Some things do come back to haunt him. He could only look at Nina sorrowfully; feeling ages old than his sixty. He looked so baleful that Nina had trouble remembering she was angry. Her father had to tear away his gaze from her eyes, an action unfamiliar to the King who had never backed down from a challenge. Somehow, Nina felt that her father was not really restricting her, but instead, protecting her from something horrible. But the look in his eyes felt so.....alien, as though he was not her beloved father, but a reluctant guardian. It was a look which she had seen in some people's eyes when she looked at them and greeted them cheerfully. Now, perhaps it was truly time for her to unravel the mystery why all she got were apprehensive stares and cold shoulders.

"Daddy-no, Father," The King visibly flinched at that. She never called him Father unless it was really serious. "Why does everyone look at me like I'm some sort of plague, ready to kill and destroy?"

"Was it because of my wings?" Nina asked again when the silence which ensued after her first question became unbearable. The King looked up now, eyeing her wings with a terrible hatred, the hatred which had long vanished after the War. Nina felt extremely nervous now. This was the first time she had seen her father with such a look of pure, undisguised venom of hatred on his face. What was wrong with her wings?

"The black wings of Apocalypse......" Came a muffled reply, as though answering the nagging question in her mind. She was startled and began looking around, scrutinizing the area for anyone in the vicinity. It was then she realized that it was her father who had said those words. His voice was so disembodied, so alien, so lifeless that Nina began to worry about her father.

"Daddy, are you alright?" Nina asked, her question about freedom totally forgotten.

"The.....black wings.....I'm......so sorry Nina....." The following silence was only punctuated by the rustle of royal robes on the carpeted and waxed floor of Nina's room as Ascorr Wyndia walked out of her room like a zombie. Nina remembered going after him, but was immediately stopped by the sight of two large wet spots on her carpet.....

"Those were the first tears Father had shed, if the rumors were not wrong about him being an emotionless person." A sixteen year-old Nina sighed, still looking down at her untouched cup of tea, the reddish-brown liquid reflecting the bittersweet nostalgia from the reminiscing of her memories and the sorrow, ever so ominous, floated about her aura, seemingly casting the room in gloom. Katt Chuan was perplexed. But kept silent to prompt Nina to explain further.

"The black wings of Apocalypse.....I later found out from a book of prophecies and a seemingly mad old woman in the dungeons that it refers to the One who will bring ultimate destruction and chaos to the kingdom and will also have a hand in Calimshad. The old woman also said something about the death of 'the glory of the skies', something which I truly do not understand....."

".....And it seems that I am the One, the Azrael of Winidia, the harbinger of Doomsday. Isn't it ironic that someone hasn't attempted to kill me yet?" The sorrowful smile and glistening tears in Nina's eyes was enough to make any grown man cry his heart out for her. Katt, being a female, was nonetheless alarmed and worried. But curiosity stopped her from comforting her winged friend as she continued chokingly.

"A few days after that conversation, Father fell ill and at the same time, sent me away from the kingdom. Mother had passed away but my stepmother continued to rule in Father's stead. However kind she was to me, I knew even she believed the prophecy. All I could do was bid all of them a nice, little farewell before moving into the Magic School in Hometown...." Her sobs became louder, drowning out any other possible sound in the well-furnished room. This time, the Woren reacted almost immediately. She held Nina's hand and stroked her back softly, doing the same with her hair as a hot and salty liquid began to drench her tights.

".....Do you want to destroy me, Katt?" Nina's soft voice sounded, barely a whisper.

Katt was startled by the question, but immediately replied with a vehement "NO!!!" and continued, "You are my friend, Nina! How could you even think of such a thing? For as long as I live, I will never hurt you intentionally, let alone kill you! Katt Chuan can beat the living hell out of a person, but she will never ever kill her own friends!" The Woren girl looked so determined that Nina's tears suddenly seem to stop, clouded sapphire eyes looking at her in surprise. All Nina felt now was an indescribable warmth inside her, making her feel cozy and loved. She never had such a friend who was willing to oppose the common views about her and stand up for her instead of turning against her since the whole world is hostile towards her. Before she could speak, a hand extended from behind her, holding a handkerchief with the simplest pattern.

"....Yeah. Therefore, please don't cry anymore. It hurts us to see you so sad." The pleasant voice somehow sent shivers down Nina's spine and she turned around to look at a blue-haired Ranger, smiling softly and warmly at her, the laughing emerald eyes urging her to cheer up. "It might be my imagination or something, but the whole place seems so dark and gloomy when you cry." Ryu paused, then pinched her cheeks playfully. "Hey, even when you cry you look sorta.....cute. But thatsnotthecase! What I'm trying to say is that you just have to live your life the way you want and errmm....yeah, I guess that's about it! Hahaha!! Oh! The rain's stopped! Wanna see a rainbow, Nina?" Ryu asked nervously, not sure whether Nina's mood was still, well, bad.

An astonished Nina looked at him, an indescribable warmth washing over her heart. It felt slightly different from when she was being comforted by Katt, but all she knew now was that she could no longer withhold her tears as they streamed down her cheeks, tears of happiness.

"Nina? Hey, you okay? Did I say something wrong?" Forgetting all his nervousness, the only thing in Ryu's mind to be solely the Winidian princess, a look of concern etched onto his face as he leaned over to get a closer look at Nina's face. "Hey, if this talk about your exile and your past saddens you, then maybe we could talk about other stuff, right? It's not like I'm going to force you or anything.....So maybe we should leave you alone for a while-"

"Thank you." Came a quiet reply. Ryu's heart skipped a beat at that mellow voice. He stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Nina, surprise evident all over his face. "Thank you. For everything, Ryu and Katt. I.....I never thought I would have such good friends....." Nina's face looked a bit puffy and her eyes were still red, although her sobbing did stop. The only thing which looked cheery enough was the small smile she showed. To Katt, she did not look too happy or nice.

To the Ranger, the smile made her looked like an angel. "Well, a crying angel perhaps, but nonetheless a beautiful one." A voice snickered in the back of his head, barely audible mentally. This earned a typical blush coming upon his cheeks and a mental scowl at that unknown voice, probably from his darker personality, something he did not even want to share with Bow yet-

"Oi, Ryu! You're zoning out again!" A pair of striped hands grabbed his and pulled him close to the irritated face of Katt Chuan. "What are you thinking , eh?" The Woren asked playfully, a glint of mischief in her laughing green eyes.

"Waah!!!" Ryu jerked back, his face twice as red. Sometimes he just hates hormones and their wonderful functions about making his reactions go haywire. Maybe he should have done what Bow suggested and spent more time with members of the opposite sex. Now he has no idea what to do around them, especially with two pretty girls traveling with him. "I wasn't spacing out! I was just.....thinking! Yeah! Don't scare me like that!" He blabbered, while Katt stuck out her tongue. The mild sound of giggling floated into their ears, slowly and unsteadily, but not without a touch of amusement in it.

"You two look like you're having fun." Nina smiled gently at the both of them, her composure regained. She skipped over to Ryu and smiled happily at him, much to his perplexity. "What? Didn't you tell me that there was a rainbow in the sky? Let's go see it!" The winged girl grabbed Ryu's hand and pulled him towards the balcony overlooking the skies, humming a little tune to herself, the Ranger as red as red can be. Katt watched them go with a frown on her face, and deciding that she needed a rest, went into the guest bedroom, her mind swirling amidst confusion and......jealousy.....?

"Why should I be jealous? It's not like Ryu's my.....my boyfriend or anything. He can do what he wants! Who cares?" Katt exclaimed aloud, startling the passing servants of the Stormwind household. She stopped and laughed sheepishly, realizing what she had done and continued down the hallway to the guest bedroom.

"Wow! It looks beautiful!" Nina exclaimed, literally jumping in excitement and wonder at the seven-colored bridge stretching across the limitless blue sky, bridging unknown gaps. Ryu could only gape at the most beautiful rainbow he ever saw. As twilight had already descended upon Winidia, 'normal' rainbows Ryu had seen were barely visible at night. Here, he saw a rainbow which looked as though it was lighted up by some sort of magic. The rainbow illuminated the castle, sending down a myriad of colors upon the land and castle. The hue of each color change constantly, making the mystical bridge seem as though it was shimmering while each color literally glowed in the darkness, accompanied by the dancing lights of the stars in the clear night sky.

"Well? Do you like it? Breath-taking isn't it?" Nina smiled and turned to look at Ryu. She giggled at his open-mouthed expression, his eyes fixated upon the ethereally beautiful rainbow. She waited for a while before Ryu managed to tear his eyes away from the magnificent sight.

"That was.....truly breath-taking. Thanks, Nina." Ryu said with an easy grin, Nina replied with a happy smile and that was when they discovered they were still holding hands.

".....Ah!" Both of them exclaimed in unison, much to the embarrassment of the other and both turned to look away slightly, cheeks burning and hearts threatening to jump out of their bodies. Silence ensued.

"What was I thinking? How long had I held his hand? But it's so big and felt so nice and warm.....Ah! What am I thinking? I better get rid of these thoughts now and apologize to him. 'It was an honest mistake that I like holding your hand....' No, that's not right! Oh.....what am I suppose to say?"

"She held my hand! But it doesn't really mean anything I guess.....it felt so small and delicate, just like the angel she is.....Argh!!! How can I even think of that? We are only friends, just friends....right? Anyway, it isn't that I like her.....right? She's still got that Stormwind guy. I better apologize....."

"I'm sorry!" The simultaneous answer surprised both of them, to say the least. Both of them looked away again, still blushing at the mere memory of holding hands. Ryu managed to pluck up his courage and began to speak.

"Erm....H-Hey, I'm sorry. It meant as much to you as it does to me, t-this holding hands thingy. It doesn't really m-mean anything to me. It's not like w-we are......a-a-a c-couple or something....." the blue-haired teen sneaked a peek at Nina, who suddenly stopped in the middle of fiddling with her hair, her fringe cascading down her face, making her expression unreadable. The red on her cheeks did not fade, however, and Ryu wondered why, or at least he did, until she spoke.

"Erm.....Ahhahaha! It's okay! I mean, i-if it means nothing to you then it means nothing to me, r-right? Ha.....We are j-just friends, right?" For some reason, Nina felt a stab of pain in her heart when Ryu had voiced out his indifference towards that incident. She suddenly felt desperate to hug him and cry, but decided not to make a scene; Nina controlled her emotions and forced a small smile.

"Nina? Why are you crying again? Did I say something wrong?" Ryu asked, his shyness once again forgotten as he drew himself closer to Nina, subconsciously using his finger to wipe away the sole tear sliding down Nina's smooth right cheek.

So she wasn't able to control herself after all.

"Hmm? What's wrong? You can always tell me, Nina. You will never have a better listener than me!" thumping his chest, Ryu grinned at the winged girl in front of him. Somehow, he always gets back into a cheerful mood even after something troubling happens. That, Nina realized, was one of his best traits which she came to like while they were traveling. Whether it was having trouble finding a shelter when it rained, or whether when a few particularly slippery E.Slimes slipped past him, he would always find his own way to bounce back. This time, she did not resist, all her troubles pouring out and the stress of holding everything inside slowly dissolving as she remembered all her misfortunes and forgetting them in an instant.

She enveloped Ryu in a heartfelt hug, wings and all literally covering the two of them and gazed up into his emerald eyes, so depthless, so understanding.

"Nina??? Wha-"

She shook her head ever so slightly, putting her right index finger on his lips to silence him. Although tears were pouring down her face like two waterfalls, she was smiling. "No, Ryu. Just.....hold me. Just for tonight. Let my emotions overwhelm all my resistance and logic, alright?"

Ryu just nodded dumbly, his body suddenly unable to move and all he could do was gaze back at Nina's sapphire eyes, glistening brightly with tears of different emotions.

In the background, the rainbow continued to shimmer, a colorful and grand arch of bliss and beauty.

Around his neck, somewhere on his chest, the Dragon Tear's greenish yellow color became a deep hue of green.

They gazed into each other's eyes, searching, probing gently and slowly; Trying to unravel the mystery of each other's emotions.

"Ryu.....I....."

"Nina! Where are you?" A familiar voice rang out, jolting both of them to their senses. It was too late for them to jump apart as Kendrick Stormwind walked in. The shock registering on his face was somehow, Ryu decided cruelly, satisfying to see. "What's.....this about?" Came his question, his tone deliberate, slow.

And dangerous.

".....Ah! It's nothing like what you think. Nina just happened to trip and fall into me. That's all." Ryu quickly explained, afraid of the consequences had he stayed silent. "Isn't that right, Nina?" A small nod and silence. What does that mean?

"What were the two of you doing here in the first place?" They, or rather he was not out of the danger zone yet. "Oh, I just wanted to take her here to look at the rainbow....." He gestured to the sky and pointed, only to see a drearily obsidian sky looking back at him gloomily, somehow filled with dark clouds without any warning at all.

Ryu felt the Tear glowed red and immediately tensed up, meeting the challenge present in Kendrick's eyes. "Nina, your mother wants to see you. I hope that could at least brighten up your day." The tone was guarded and strangely alien. Was he another demon? No, it couldn't be.....

Nina sighed audibly and released herself from the position she was in. "Thank you, Kendrick." Ryu could see the disappointment in her eyes and also, a terrible shadow of sorrow and guilt clouding her eyes. She floated off towards the guest bedroom, the positive aura around her somewhat lessened.

"Tomorrow. You and I. We are going to have a **little** duel." Kendrick Stormwind's voice came out in barely a menacing whisper. Ryu looked up into his eyes and immediately knew he was in for a tough time.

Sleep was a luxury to the three adventurers as emotions threatened to boil over, swarming their thoughts with their confusion about their emotions......

"Your Majesty, She is here." The Royal Mage Alexis Ruthain informed, in his usual quiet, wispy voice. Known for the first half of his lifetime as only a crazed alchemist, he learned the mystical arts under the tutelage of an unknown wizard of immense power, or so he claimed. No one had seen him at the borders, trying to subdue demons or excessively aggressive creatures threatening to disrupt the peace in Winidia to some extent. All he had done was to cast spells to change the weather to a favorable one for harvests and festivals. Of course, there were hardly any disasters or wars descending upon Winidia, so all the people could do was to keep quiet about his "incompetence" lest they wanted to face the wrath of Queen Lena Wyndia. However, there were rumors he could summon the legendary Great Bird, a legend of the old ages. But that is also what it is-a rumor.

Nina Wyndia entered the throne room, her face curiously expressionless with Ryu and Katt hot on her heels. She seemed to be looking at Mina in particular and sighed so softly that only her two companions could hear. As the Ranger and Fighter scrutinized the room and was impressed by what they saw. Banners of the royal color of white and red hung upon the walls. A few dozen guards lined the hallway and looked tough enough to take on as many Dinafungs alone. While the exterior of the castle walls were made of magically-impregnable material, the interior was a complete difference, obsidian and marble the main materials for the structures inside the room. Diamond chandeliers hung overhead, reflecting the sunlight which poured from a transparent and seemingly fragile roof. Ryu could find no words to describe the place except 'majestic' and 'magnificent'.

"Greetings, Queen of Winidia. We are here at your honorable request." Nina bowed to the imposing figure sitting upon the throne while Ryu and Katt hesitated for a second before following her actions.

"You may dispense with the formalities." The rich voice boomed throughout the throne room and Ryu looked up, surprised to see a youthful woman, say in her early adult years, looking every bit like a demure "Your Highness" instead of the owner of the commanding and powerful voice which just spoke to them. She wore a simple green satin robe without any designs and her crown was equally bland. Not one of the hypocritical "I want to help the poor but need to feed myself more" persons of nobility, Ryu decided. Judging from the mirrored expression of Nina's on her face, Ryu knew this was not going to be easy for his winged friend.

"I thank you for returning my daughter to me. If there may be anything you request, gold or the finest arms available in our kingdom, I can grant them to you." She was looking directly at Nina and Ryu saw a pinch of sorrow in her eyes. Or was he just imagining things?

".....Thank you, your Highness; your offer is most gracious. However, we do not need anything except the clearance of the passage towards the west-"

"Mother! How can you not recognize Nina?" The sweet voice of Mina carried over to everyone present in the hall. She looked so distressed that Ryu felt immense sympathy towards her. Here is her sister, who because of her wings is rejected and repulsed by the Windian society.

"OH! What are you talking about, Mina? You have no.....sister....." Even as the Queen feign genuine surprise, Ryu believed that she was only covering up her grief and anger at being unable to care for Nina. "Take the princess back to her room to rest." The simple command warranted enough power that even the willful Katt thought it was also directed to her. Four guards saluted and stonily escorted the crying princess back to her room, who was on the brink of hysteria. Nina watched all this without any reaction, save for a sad smile and mild shaking. "Permission granted. However, I have another request from our foolish Mage Knight Kendrick Stormwind. He wishes to battle one of you, and that is Ryu Bateson."

"That would be me, your Highness," Ryu stepped up and spoke, wondering what kind of duel it would be. "It will be an....honor to battle one of the finest Mage Knights in your kingdom."

"You are too kind." The reply was somewhat frosty and filled with hatred as Kendrick Stormwind stepped in from a side room. We will fight a free-for-all battle in the castle courtyard. What say you?" The smirk was very challenging and Ryu simply could not refuse it.

"Fine. Courtyard it is."

The battle was on before Ryu knew it. Three magical flashes of light went past him, making his hair stand on an end as he barely dodged it. He cursed. He had no knowledge of any magic and it looks like this time round, his luck might not even be enough to make up for his foolishness.

Barely having time to draw out his sword, three balls of fire twice the size of his head flew towards him at an alarming speed. He dodged again, jumping three times away from his original spot. Holding his longsword in two hands, he looked at his opponent on the ground.

Only to feel extremely sharp needles of pain on his back. He looked up and saw a tiny wisp of black smoke arising from his back and the surprised face of Kendrick Stormwind, flying high above him.

"Wha-? What are you?" Came the question. Indeed, everyone watching was surprised that he, a normal human hardly flinched under a magic attack. Nina's expression was wondrous, Katt's amazed and all others shocked or surprised. "No matter, I will take you down, one way or the other!" Tucking in his wings, his opponent dived at breakneck speed towards Ryu. Still unsure of his tactics, Ryu dodged again, only to have the diving Winidian curb his speed right before he reached the ground and zoom towards him, a longsword outstretched.

Reacting as fast as he could, Ryu dug his sword into the earth and swung it up with all his might, bringing all the soil and gravel up to slow down the advancing Kendrick. A shout of surprise rewarded his efforts and he slashed lightly across Kendrick's sword arm. First blood.

"Nice one, Ryu!" Katt cheered. He grinned without turning away. An angered opponent can be a stupid one or a dangerous one. For Kendrick Stormwind, Ryu would rather kill him than take any chances, but this was only a duel.

Except for the fact that his opponent's eyes were blazing with a terrible fury. If looks could kill, Ryu would probably have lost a long time ago.

Kendrick began chanting and Ryu felt the air around him crackle. Pure, raw instinct saved his skin once again as he leapt away before a column of fire blazed from the ground, burning everything else to a crisp. Ryu inwardly breathed a sigh of relief and also mentally kicked himself. What was he doing, dodging and flitting around like an irritating mosquito, running from each challenge? He quickly concentrated on the figure standing there, trying to weave another spell and charged.

"Fool! You've walked into my little trap." Kendrick hissed. As he tried to comprehend his "trap", Ryu suddenly felt himself slowing down and looked down to see a pair of magical shackles bounding his feet to the ground. "Struggle all you want, Ranger, but no one has ever broken my magic before, and you will not be the first!" This time, Ryu knew he was done for. The combined Powerspell of S.Boom, Fireball, Freeze and Tornado zoomed towards him.....

The explosion was greater than Kendrick had imagined. It had literally taken out one fourth of the courtyard's earth and with it the bothersome Ranger as well. Now, nobody can stand in his way of his beloved Nina.....

"No!! Ryu!" The scream was heard from the Woren girl. She seemed troublesome enough, but perhaps only as a nuisance. As he looked on, his heart felt as though it was slowly shattering when Nina flew over to the spot where Ryu stood even before the dust cleared. Did he mean so much to her? Why was she caring for someone else so deeply? Why didn't she like him as much?

"Because you're destined to lose, destined to aid the Almighty One through your failures, young one." A reptilian voice spoke out in his mind. He decided that there will be enough time to comprehend what he was saying after he ensured Nina's permanent stay in his residence.

Until he saw a figure sitting up beside the exiled Winidian princess.

It had blue hair.

"Ryu! Are you alright?" The concern in Nina's voice was unmistakable and unbearable to the Mage Knight. The object of her concern, however, did not respond. He merely sat there, poised, like an injured tiger coming back for the kill. It came as a mind-blowing shock to Kendrick that his opponent was only left with a bleeding temple and mostly minor cuts on his legs and body. Only a deep cut was spotted on his left arm, bleeding away profusely.

"Ryu? What's wrong? Are you alright?" The mention of his name by Nina simply made his blood boil and unable to stand it any longer, he powered his blade with electricity and charged at the Ranger.

It all seemed to happen in slow motion. Ryu pushed Nina aside and avoiding the blade expertly, the energies just a few millimeters away from his sidestepping body and landed two successive jabs in Kendrick's armored stomach. More shock was registered upon his face as he flew back a couple of feet, winded by the force of Ryu's punches. He looked up and saw that his opponent no longer looked like the human he is supposed to be. His eyes were glowing an angry green, pupils and iris unseen. His face seemed to take on a feral appearance, his teeth somewhat sharper than before. Even his hands resembled claws from a creature of power and destruction.

He cursed and brought the blade up in a cleaving slash which he knew would chop anything in two. The disbelief was evident on his face as the being known as Ryu Bateson grabbed the blade of his sword and with a simple twist, broke it into two. The combined energies of fire, lightning and ice did not even seem to tickle Ryu at all, even though Kendrick could see that the flesh on his hand was slightly blackened and bleeding readily. He, or it, took up his own blade in a whirl of blue, red, white and silver, drew out his sword at an inhuman speed and.....did something with it. At that speed, Kendrick wasn't sure. In all his years of training, he had never even encountered opponents with this kind of speed. What was he exactly?

Searching through his memory banks, he was hit by the realization of the answer but went down in a shower of blood as five deep cuts score his chest, stomach, arms, legs and face. "You.....You're....."

Ryu looked at him, confused. What had happened? All he knew was that he was blasted by Kendrick head-on by that Powerspell and should probably be unconscious or even dead. Everything went black, or rather white due to the resulting explosion and he could not remember anything. Suddenly, here he was, battered as badly as he could remember, and his opponent in a more critical condition. The blood, slick, warm and fresh on his sword roughly gave him the answer as to who was the culprit of Kendrick's defeat. He looked at his opponent in genuine surprise.

"You....are....a B.....Berserker.....How did you.....sur....vive....." The last words came out, softening as each word was blurted out with much difficulty. He gurgled and vomited more blood before his head lolled to the right, unconscious.

"Berserker.....?" Ryu questioned to no one in particular. How could he be one of them? The fabled battle-crazed warriors, full of bloodlust and the desire to kill. How could he be one of them? But the sword he was holding.....

Ryu shook his head. Here was yet another mind-boggling question. All he did was stare straight and let the confusion drown him as Winidians streamed into the courtyard, carrying the two duelists to the infirmaries. His mind was still whirling however, trying to come up with answers that are not there. How was he able to withstand the magic attacks? Why was he still able to fight even though he was bleeding profusely?

"Go to the back of the castle tomorrow in the morning. Make sure no one follows you. You will get more answers there, my child." A soothing voice, roughly reptilian and yet fatherly called out in his mind. Ryu silently agreed and relaxed, hoping that most, if not all of his questions will be answered soon enough.

Nina and Katt came over to him, enquiring about his injuries. The look on Nina's face almost made Ryu want to hug her again. But he knew he shouldn't-mustn't do it.

At least, not when his emotions are still in a greater turmoil than he imagined.

"Not yet."

Phew! Finally finished it. Took me a bit longer than usual due to a bit of a writer's block. Anyway, hope you have enjoyed this, although the pace might be a bit slow. But, after all, I did add in some juicier bits not available in the game, right? ï See ya all next time round!!


	10. Chapter 5: Holy Monkeys! There's a Dog i...

Hey again! Woohoo! The holidays are here, although I will still have no end of studies due to unsatisfactory exam results. But that would never stop my passion for writing! There's a hell lot of events in the holidays so if my work's a bit sloppy, I'm really sorry about it. I wish to extend my gratitude to all reviewers who were wonderful in the evaluation of my story and concern. Thanks guys! You're the greatest! Hope you guys will enjoy my fics in the future too! By the way, I'm gonna explain a few things you guys might have questions about in the earlier chapters in this one. P

Currently still thinking up a sequel with an original storyline, but only got the gist of it…P

March on to the story, soldier!!

Breath of Fire 2: Chapter 5-Holy Monkeys! There's a Dog in the house!!

He walked down the streets, the rain pouring down, cold and harsh.

All he could do was look around desperately for an inn still open, warm enough to dry himself totally. Even with the cloak he was wearing, he felt the slick wetness of the rain soaking his fur.

A drop of water dropped onto his head, causing him to shiver slightly. He needed a damned inn, and fast. Looking up, he saw a wooden sign in the shape of a horse which read "The Flying Pony" and without a moment to lose, he zipped into the tavern, asking for warm ale and hot food. Taking off his soaked cloak, he could feel numerous stares, some curious, some mildly interested, mostly hostile. It was as though they were looking at a zoo exhibit.

He could not blame them since his kind, after all, hardly came to the city of wings and they bare a strikingly close resemblance to…..

"Hey, stranger. 'ere's your ale and food. That will be eighteen gold pieces, unless you wanna wash the dishes….." That remark earned more than a few snickers from the other patrons. He just glanced up casually and grinning toothily, emptied his fistful of fifty gold pieces into the surprised innkeeper's open hand.

"Will that be enough for a night's stay in the 1st class rooms and for the food?" Barely acknowledging the nod, he smiled and added, "Oh, the remaining gold pieces are your little tip. Don't bother returning it to me." He smiled again, this time showing off his outstanding incisors, to which several people backed away. As he finished his meal and stood up, the people around him could see that he was actually quite short. The cloak, torn and old fitted him perfectly where it should have barely covered a normal human. His movements were quite jerky as though he could not walk properly.

"Hey, little man. Maybe you could spare me some change." A burly man towered over the cloaked figure, his eight foot frame completely dwarfing the figure, who stood no more than four feet. The teeth shown in his greasy smile were yellow to the core, mostly rotten or broken from various fights he had been in when he was younger. His fists easily outsized the cloaked person's head, who looked as though he didn't have a chance in hell to even dodge a blow.

A rustle of clothing and a 'zip' sound later, the bigger man laid on the floor, unconscious and bleeding slightly from a wound at his left temple. The shorter person grinned and held up his dagger for all the gaping onlookers to see. "Is there anyone else who needs money?" Without waiting for an answer, he prodded up the stairs and to his bedroom for a well-earned rest. Being a runaway was tough, especially when his people wanted him dead or alive for various reasons. He rose to his normal height of five foot nine, a good difference from his 'usual' height. He chuckled quietly to himself as he flung the cloak onto a nearby table. "Being a Legacy sure brings fame…..and misfortune to you sometimes."

With that, he slept.

"Oi, time to wake up! Geez, you have a tendency to get beaten up and knocked out when you are traveling with us….." Katt's voice found its way into Ryu's ears, who groggily struggled up into a sitting position. He still felt sore from the duel yesterday although the pain seemed to have disappeared or alleviated by strong clerical magic. He surveyed the surroundings and noticed that he was still in the infirmary in which he was transferred to the day before.

What had happened then? He was sure he could not remember a single thing after the Powerspell struck him. It was all so fuzzy…..but he did vaguely remember the metallic taste of blood on his lips during the time where he was 'unconscious'. To add to this, it was not the first time he had blacked out while fighting. There was once when he had been surrounded by Deathpedes and his mind went completely blank. The next thing he knew was he had been carried to safety by Bow and his best buddy had recounted that he had been discovered near a pile of bodies of Deathpedes. What is this? What was going on with him?

"I think I might have some idea, my friend." A soothing voice, calm yet commanding. Ryu, realizing that he must have said his last thoughts out loud, turned to face the owner of that voice.

The speaker was a man who looked to be in his early 20s. He had long flowing blond hair reaching down to his lower back and he was six feet two, a tad bit taller than Ryu. His muscular frame hinted that the man had great strength and power and his sure movement and unwavering steps told Ryu that this man was a seasoned warrior. The baggy healer's garb was not even enough to hide his bulky frame. Despite his imposing figure, the smile on the man's face could only be described as warm and genuine.

"Good morning. I'm glad to see you are awake and well. I'm Ray Braddock, a healer of St.Evrai." Ryu took the outstretched hand, which he found was rather callused.

Another evidence of a warrior.

"Same to you, Mr.Braddock. I'm Ryu Bateson, a 2nd class Ranger of Hometown's Rangers' Guild. Nice to meet you too." He shook his hand and sat back on the bed. "You were mentioning something about knowing what was?"

"Call me Ray. The 'mister' part makes me sound old." He chuckled softly but turned serious almost immediately, just like a chameleon changing its skin color in accordance to its surroundings. "Indeed. I do know a bit about your condition or shall I say, your bloodline."

"Bloodline?" Ryu was starting to have a bad feeling about what the warrior cleric was going to say next. Suddenly he dreaded finding out why he had lost consciousness during the duel.

Ray nodded. "Yes, bloodline. I think perhaps you are one which has the blood of the Berserker Dragon clan. This clan existed four thousand years ago and lasted till the Apocalyptic Days, where they were seemingly obliterated by the Dragon God Ladon for joining the Goddess Myria's cause and destroying several powerful Dragon clans. That was five hundred years ago, where a White Dragon clan member put an end to the chaos."

Ryu's face lit up. At least here was one person who did not forget about the five hundred year-old legend! He nodded vigorously like a child and continued, "He had his sister killed when the entire thing began and he fought and defeated the Goddess, right? It was amazing. He even channeled the power of the Keys themselves to help him somehow. Legend has it that he can even summon dragons and use their powers! How cool is that?"

The man smiled. This youth was special somehow. He could feel it, although it was not altogether a good feeling. "You do have a good knowledge of the Apocalyptic Days. How is it that when I said that you are a Berserker can you be so calm about it?" To tell the truth, Ray was quite impressed with this teenager, who was probably no younger than him by five years.

The Ranger smiled. "I've heard that before from my three mentors. They were rather knowledgeable. At least, two of them were." He chuckled to himself, remembering his third mentor, who did not even know what a Highlander is and yet, was supposedly a widely-traveled thief. "They knew many things about the Dragon Clans, the War of the Wings, the Immortal Wars, The Ragnarok Calendar…."

"It seems your mentors were really wise." Ray said, thoroughly impressed by what Ryu had just mentioned. Those events happened eons ago, and their records dated from several of tens of thousands of years back. Hardly anyone knew-or even bother to know about these facts. "However, just by listening to your description of your mentors, you don't seem to know who they are. Why is that so?"

"It's one of their weird habits. They never showed my best friend and I their true identities, either wearing masks or having their faces shrouded in cloaks. Come to think of it, I didn't know anything about them….." Ryu began to ponder again. Why did his mentors rescued him? Why did they want to raise him to be a warrior? What was their purpose in all these? He had never really thought about it but when he did now, it bothered him greatly.

On seeing the troubled expression on the young man's face, Ray decided to change the subject. "By the way, Ryu, did you know that the White Dragon Clan warrior who defeated Myria had the same name as you did?"

"Oh?!? What a coincidence! Haha! Tell me more about this hero….."

"Geez. The moment he gets better, he sits there and talks to a complete stranger as though they were old friends meeting each other again." Katt grumbled as she held the empty bowl, previously filled with porridgeRyu had wolfed down five minutes ago. She had wanted to spend some time alone with the blue-haired teen, only to have a blonde-haired man taking her place. "He looks kinda hot though….." Katt giggled at that thought. Ray Braddock was handsome, with his finely chiseled nose, crimson eyes of the greatest depth and a well-sculpted face. Everything about him was quite perfect, as she heard from one of the servant girls in the hallway. He had impeccable manners, is extremely sociable to everyone he meets and talented in music, art and the art of fighting. "The only problem with him is that….."

"Is that there is no problem with him at all." Katt whirled around, embarrassed that the black-winged Winidian should hear her talk about Ray Braddock to herself. She coughed to cover up her embarrassment and in turn tried her best to glare at Nina. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No…..but perhaps you could stop scaring me like that." Katt replied cautiously, unsure of the stability of Nina's emotions after what had happened. Her exile, now completed by the queen, the obsession of her suitor Kendrick Stormwind and the weird things happening to Ryu. If it was her, she might already have broken down a long time ago, her emotional defenses shattering under the heavy burden of all these happenings.

Nina shook her head and smiled, an upward curve gradually appearing upon her lips. "I'm sorry and to answer your thoughts, yes, I'm okay. Don't worry about me." She cast a worried look at the infirmary. "In fact, I think his problems might be greater than mine now, seeing as how confused he is about his Berserker lineage. At least I can take the exile easily and at least hope that Kendrick would stop bothering me soon. For Ryu…..well, I'm not too sure if he likes the idea of massacring his opponents or adversaries….."

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Katt's ears twitched, a sign that she was either interested or curious. In this case, she was both and all ears about Nina's firsthand lesson about the Berserkers.

"Alright. I'll tell you," Nina sighed, sitting next to Katt and began her explanation, "Berserkers are the Dragon people who are usually mild-mannered and most of them are peace-loving, to say the least. However, when they are engaged in combat of any kind, their peace-loving nature will get consumed by the beast of rage and power in them, destroying all they deem as enemies, leaving none alive until the battle and danger is over. When the Ragnarok Calendar started, the Berserkers already existed, contrary to popular beliefs that the world gave birth to their kind only eight thousand years ago. They were the creation of Aranemus, the ancient God of War and Furion, the God of Anger. It was said that they poured in liquids of great magic into the bodies of these men, giving them great strength and power-"

"Wait, wait, wait! How come there's a God of Anger? I never heard of 'im before! Another thing, how come Ryu didn't go all bonkers and whack Stormwind from the start?"

Nina giggled despite her worry. Katt's inquisitiveness always seemed to make things lighter for her. "I'm getting to that. Furion was not known to us as he vanished after the War of the Heavens, presumably dead. Many different Gods were destroyed and trapped in Worldstones, hidden different places. These Gods were the ones who were unable to recover their physical forms and had their souls trapped inside. Most, however, were completely annihilated. The surviving Gods went into an Eternal Sleep to recover their wounds while Tyr, who had escaped unscathed, went about to initiate her plans to control our world." She paused to catch her breath and continued, "Regarding Ryu's reaction, it could be possible that the magic in his blood has weakened due to different circumstances, maybe inter-racial marriage caused the blood in his body to be 'impure'. Thus, only when he was facing great danger did his blood initiate the Berserker Effect in him."

"How about the gigantic ball of energy hurled at Ryu? What's that called?"

"That is a Powerspell. It is something which comprises of different elements of energies combined together to form a devastating destruction spell. Depending on magic power of the wizard casting the spell and the huge amount of concentration needed, the spell can take out a band of two dozen ogres at one go or at least pulverize lesser monsters. At worse, however, if you do it wrongly, it could vaporize yourself. Usually, only spell-casters of the greatest experience and power can cast these kind of spells. What's more, mediums are also needed to empower it." Nina looked at the goggling Katt. "Hmm? Did I talk too fast? Should I repeat it again?"

The Woren shook her head vigorously. "No! It's just that…..I'm quite impressed by your knowledge. How did you learn so much?"

"Well, my teachers were good teachers, I had nothing much to do in the Magic School besides read and practice my magic and there was a certain blue-haired girl who taught me most of these. The problem is, she never tell me her name and I couldn't get it out of her."

Looking at the perplexed expression on Nina's face, Katt began to laugh. "Hmm? What's so funny, Katt?"

"It's nothing." Katt gasped between giggles. Now that she realized her judgment was completely off the track about Nina, she found it funny somehow. She had always thought that Nina was a stuck up and spoilt brat, being a princess and all. Yet here she is, learning from the very person she once mildly scorned about ancient history and Berserkers and things like that. Somehow, Nina Wyndia never failed to surprise and amaze her. Next thing you know, Nina might even be able to whip up delicacies from the most meager supplies of iron rations.

There was just one problem for her, though…..

"Hey Nina," Katt tried to ask her as calmly as possible, "do you…..ermm…..sort of like…..Ryu? Another thing, did something happen…..the night before the duel? You guys were acting…..kinda awkward towards each other….."

Now she can finally find out more about…..them.

"Eh? Whatever do you mean?" Nina turned quickly, almost too quickly in response to Katt's questions. Her feeble attempt to hide the crimson blush on her face was a complete failure and she tried to use the tip of her wings to cover her face. Very suspicious, Katt decided.

"You know, like…..as in THAT kind of like? And THAT kind of thing happening on that night?" This time, Katt felt her composure slipping away, bit by bit. She fought to gain control and barely succeeded. Damned her impatience! She had to control it for as long as it took for Nina to answer her.

"Ermm…ahh….ermm…." The nervousness was infectious as Katt began to feel the sweat on her palms as she waited. "Ahhahaha….! How could anything have happened? I-It's not like we are….l-l-lovers or anything…."

"But do you like him?"

This was the first time in all of her sixteen years that she felt so nervous and yet, she did not know why. "Ehhh….Oh hey! I got to look for the healer! He might tell me more about Ryu's condition and we can help him together!" With that, she ran off in the opposite direction of the infirmary, tripping over nothing in particular and falling down in process. She sat up and laughed a silly laugh before rushing off again. Katt raised an eyebrow and her mind filled with confusion and an even stronger desire to know what had happened that night. Nina was acting strange after all. In fact, her behavior was anything but ordinary. How could a figure of grace fall like a sack of potatoes when there was nothing to even trip on? "I'm going to find out what happened or my name's not Katt Chuan!"

"What are you going to find out?" A male voice spoke suddenly, causing Katt to jump three feet into the air literally. She turned to face a grinning Ryu and an amused Ray standing behind her. The grin was the last straw for her.

"What the hell is wrong with you people? Will you all please talk in front of me?!?" Katt sputtered irritably. "And to think I was worried about your injuries. Geez!"

Ryu looked so genuinely surprised that even Katt was almost taken in by his acting. "Oh? You were worried about me? That's a pleasant surprise….." The object of her earlier thoughts merely stood there, an imposing figure with an ironic smile on his face.

"S-Shut up! That was just a figure of speech!" Katt shouted and turned around so Ryu would not see her blushing. She ran off in the same direction as Nina had earlier ago while a puzzled Ryu stood there, not really sure what had happened.

"Hey, was it something I said?" He turned to ask his newfound friend. Ray simpler shrugged and smiled nonchalantly, indicating a 'that's for me to know and for you to find out' answer. Ryu growled, not hostilely and waved a goodbye to Ray while searching for a way to the rear part of the castle. Recalling the soothing words spoken to him before he was transferred to the infirmary, Ryu was definitely anxious, or rather, he was desperate for answers. One of the things he hated the most was having unanswered questions or unfinished tasks. Furthermore, these questions seemed to give him a greater indication of who he really was. So far, while traveling, he had lost consciousness twice during critical moments in a battle. Yet, when he woke up, neither his senses nor his instincts could detect any traces of danger nearby. While it is good that his companions were safe, he was afraid that instead of attacking the real threat, he himself will become the threat and wipe out his companions. That was his greatest worry currently. Had he been an assassin or perhaps a hit-man, he need not worry so much. But as a Ranger, he had taken up assignments to protect people before. Thus, all he knew was to preserve life as much as possible unless your opponent wants your blood REALLY badly. He never really wanted to fight to kill, but rather fight to subdue most of the time. In fact, the truth was that he was not really serious about fighting the Mage Knight Kendrick Stormwind. Had he gotten down to real business, the Mage-Knight would be as alive as his ancestors.

Before he knew it, he was at the rear side of the castle and was rather flabbergasted that he should find a statue of the Dragon God there, animatedly smiling a toothy smile at him like when they had first met in Hometown. "Wha-What is a statue of you doing at this kind of place?" Ryu asked, rather nonplussed.

Ladon looked slightly offended. "Hey hey hey! This is a free world ya know! There's no stopping people worshipping who they want to worship!" To Ryu, the sight was rather amusing. The visage was doing a pose of crossing its arms and looking cross, but ended up looking like a clown trying his best to look serious.

"Alright, alright. I'm sorry. So…..You told me there will be answers right?"

"Yeah."

"So…..spill."

"Hmm….Mmm…." The Ladon thought hard, or at least appeared to for several seconds before crying out "Ah!" and looked at Ryu intently.

"Yes?"

"I forgot!" Ladon laughed a deep throaty laugh, to which Ryu rolled his eyes heavenward and sighed heavily. So it is true that pranksters are the reincarnations of gods after all…..

"Hmm…I think I got it. That old geezer Time sure does catch up quick on my memory too….." The God had barely spoke that sentence when Ryu's head snapped up, looking at him keenly. "What do you wish to know?"

"Hmm…..Can you tell me more about the Berserkers? I heard you destroyed them….."

The visage took on a hard face immediately as though it was recalling something revolting. "Ah, yes. The Berserker Dragon Clan. One of the most powerful warrior clans of the Dragons. They were bestowed with the powers of magic resistance and supernatural fighting abilities, including enhanced senses and having the willpower to push the person's body into an overdrive. A normal punch can pulverize a pure granite rock wall. Everything is amplified when they go off your rocker."

"How did you destroy them?"

"Easy. I went down there and took them all out." Ladon said somewhat cautiously. Although his tone was relatively nonchalant, Ryu was sure he detected a hint of caution in his voice.

And it seemed that the caution was directed at him.

Brushing that thought aside for the time being, Ryu continued to ask questions about the gods, the Ragnarok Calendar and finally…..

"One last question. Do you know anything about my past? Who am I exactly? Who are my grandparents?"

On hearing the question, the countenance of Ladon seemed to turn pale but recovered quickly, albeit several dozen "coughs". Very suspicious indeed.

He had no time for that as a brownish-blue blur knocked into him, leaving Ryu sprawled on the ground, the his breath taken away momentarily as though someone had punched him in the gut. He got up to see a Highlander, dressed in an exotic fashion of bright cerulean and gold chains around his neck and ankles. His 'assailant' had his hair spiked up in such a fashion that it resembles an inverted icicle. He was slightly taller and a great deal lankier than Ryu. The rich and clean brown hair he had all over his body was now messed up and dirty. He looked up at Ryu and grinned, the flustered expression on his face a moment ago vanished completely.

"Ah! Would you like to help a kind, poor soul in need of aid?" The earnest look in his eyes seemed so honest that Ryu let his guard down for a moment, re-sheathing his sword. It was the job of a Ranger to help those in need anyway.

"What can I do for you?" He offered, still not totally trusting the shifty-eyed Highlander.

"Listen, I just need you for a small magic performance. My greatest act ever, the Disappearing Act! All my magic has failed me so far and some cleric has chased me all the way here to get back the money I've worked so diligently for! Even some townspeople are pursuing me as we speak! Come; let us move quickly to the castle's entrance. Maybe the guards might help me….."

Before he could say "I wouldn't count on it", Ryu found himself being dragged literally by the simian. He sighed and swinging his arm free of his grasp, began to follow the fleet-footed stranger. "I've got a bad feeling about this….."

"What's taking Ryu so long? I left him a message telling him to hurry up, since his wounds are fully healed." Katt pouted, placing her hands (or paws) on her hips. Both Nina and she were waiting outside the castle gates, which enclosed a mystical portal teleporting people from it to the castle's real entrance. The streets before them were rather empty but despite that, there was no sign of the blue-haired teenager. Nina said nothing, but was equally worried about Ryu. Although he was possibly the strongest person she had met so far, the bloody duel yesterday gave her a valid stand for anxiety and worry for his safety. Then again, from the way he fights and the recklessness of the Ranger, who wouldn't be worried?

Before she could ponder about Ryu any further, a great commotion behind her reeled in her attention like a fishing rod to a hooked fish. Both of the females turned to see a huge crowd of Winidian commoners marching like a mob, eyes darting about, all seemingly on the alert for something or someone. The look in their eyes could only be described as murderous and although they were only armed with simple clubs and knives, anybody would adhere to the saying that 'discretion is the better part of valor' in front of this blood-baying rabble. As curious as ever, Katt went up to them and began to query the source of their anger.

"Look here, lass, I'll tell you, but you best keep out of trouble. We're looking for a cursed bas'tid of a Highlander a slight bit lesser than six feet. He's killed a poor bugger who was unfortunate enuff to cross 'im. Aye, a slippery one, he is but we are gunna get 'im snd skewer his guts out of 'im!" The only man who was willing to answer Katt's question bellowed out, causing his fellow Winidians to raise their respective weapons in agreement. Katt was suddenly alert. Something felt terribly wrong. Somehow, she seemed to feel nothing but a terrible bloodlust from these normal townsfolk. The only person who did not seem to radiate dangerous intentions was the person who had so 'kindly' answered her question.

"Nina…." Her voice barely came out in a whisper as the hoi polloi suddenly stopped and slowly turned towards them. It was only then did the Woren realize that the streets were eerily empty, devoid of activity and people.

"I felt it too. It seems that we have a little problem on our hands to worry about." She replied the unspoken question of Katt's and at the same time, summoned elemental energies about her hands, which pulsed softly with power.

"Indeed, princess. It would be a great pleasure to have some fun with you and your lovely companion. However, I have already accomplished my mission here and there are…..pressing matters of the greatest urgency which require my utmost immediate attention. I would love to play with you ladies but mayhap some other time. In the meantime, why don't the both of you get acquainted with my little pet and his playmates?"

The man's coarse peasant clothing was now gone and in its place, the livery of the finest materials replacing them in an instant. Diamonds adorned his sleek black tunic like stars decorating the night sky, rubies of the purest red ornamented his otherwise plain-looking gauntlets and azure sapphires bedecked his boots. As the man turned, he revealed a face of stunning beauty and a dazzling smile and in his hand he held an obsidian-coloured sword, completed with carved runes of a bloody red upon them. He was simply suave and bewitching, but Katt and Nina managed to shake off the airy feeling and focused upon him as an adversary rather than eye-candy. He grinned again, the smile devilish yet enchanting and leapt high up into the air. As if on cue, a black shape zoomed by, carrying the enigmatic stranger away from them, leaving them for the peasant zombies and a rather large and more or less unfriendly-looking ten feet tall three-headed dog with a massive name tag that read 'Bob'.

"What kind of joke is this?" Katt shouted over the deafening roar of the 'Bob'. Nina had no time to answer as she barely dodged a blast of flame from the right head. Mustering enough energy, the Winidian girl sent a Spark spell at the monstrosity. It merely made a sound which might be taken for a laugh and bared its teeth at his attacker. He seemed to chuckle as Katt hit his left paw and simply swiped the lithe Woren away.

"Arghh!! That does it! No more Miss nice Katt!" She stood up, her fur ruffled. Katt was really angry now. No dog was going to get the best of her, however big and bad it is. She had to admit grudgingly though, that the situation was looking rather bleak. Nina's fire magic hardly warmed him up and her bow staff was as good as a rotten toothpick against him. "Ah, what the hell! Let's get down to business." She growled to herself. She wasn't some weak little kitten who could do nothing without Ryu. She was a street-wise stray cat, toughened by the dangers on the deserted streets and robber-infested alleys and no matter what, she was going to fight it out with 'Bob'.

"Ahh!" The scream came from Nina as she was forced to the ground by a ongoing column of fire from the right mouth. Katt leapt into action and swiftly carried her away as her magic shield shattered at the last moment, the fire scorching the ground below them, turning all it touched into ashes.

"Are you okay?" Katt asked and received a mild nod in reply. "It looks like we will have to team up against this flea-bitten pest." She said without really looking at Nina, her attention totally riveted by the looming 'Bob'. "Let's go!" Without even waiting for a reply, Katt rushed at the charging abomination and feinted to his left. The dog grunted and swiped to the left side, leaving his right flank open. The Woren fighter immediately seized the opportunity and swung with all her might at the right flank. This time, she was rewarded with a grunt of pain from the dog, but she was not fast enough to dodge the right paw.

As the impending doom came towards her, it suddenly stopped. She looked up to see Nina casting a "Tornado: Seal" spell on the paw while hinting frantically with her head for Katt to escape quickly. Katt obliged, but not before leaping onto Bob's back and sticking the bow staff into his head, to which the three heads immediately yelped in pain. She jumped off and ran for her life, with the dog hot on her heels. An ice wall suddenly appeared between Bob and her and she managed to make it safely to a mound as Nina slowly descended beside her.

"Nice work." Katt panted out, still trying to catch her breath. Nina nodded her approval while putting her hands on her bent knees, doing the same thing.

"There's still a lot of work to be done, especially since my ice wall is about to break in 5…4…3…2…1…" A loud crash was heard as the last parts of the glacial barricade were taken out by an enraged Bob. "And 0."

Nina quickly stood up and looked at the three-headed dog, as though she was contemplating what to do about their dire state. The klutzy impression was gone, leaving only a serious and regal-looking princess she was (or was supposed to be, in Katt's opinion). It was the first time Katt had seen her so serious though. Then again, it IS a life and death situation here and what better time than to get down to the real deal?

"Katt," Nina spoke in a careful, measured tone, as though she was still calculating her chances of success for the next attack. "On my cue, just charge forward and give the monster your most potent attack."

"WHAT?!? Did little Bobby here do something to your head? I've experienced it, you've seen it. The best my bow staff could do is tickle him. What more can another similar attack-"

"Trust me." Nina quickly cut her off. The energies gathering around her were an awesome myriad of blue, red and white. This time, the energies covered her entire body instead of her hands. As she opened her eyes, Katt could see that they were shining a brilliant blue and had no pupils. Backing away, half in awe and the other in fear, she nodded inaudibly and readied her weapon. She waited and waited as Bob came closer and closer….

"Now!" Nina shouted. Cleariing her mind of all thoughts and emotions, Katt jumped straight at the three headed fiend and raising her staff, struck down with all her might, praying that some miracle will happen.

To her surprise, the staff came down several times faster and more powerful than she expected. Her fur seemed to stand on an end as the staff swung down upon the incoming black mass. That was truly surprising. What really shocked her was upon contact, the tip of the staff appeared to explode on impact and she DEFINITELY heard a terrible howl of pain, anger and astonishment. Katt reeled back, more in shock than from the explosion she had just experienced.

"I'm sorry. Did that shocked you a bit too much, Katt? Perhaps I utilized too much power….." Nina floated next to Katt, sweat upon her brow cheeks rosier than usual and panting a bit too heavily. Even though realization dawned upon her, Katt could only dumbly nod at her Winidian friend. Once again, Nina proved to be the enigma Katt thought she was. It was weird, somehow. They had been traveling together for a few months at the least. Yet, Katt knew almost nothing about Nina except that she was a magician and a exiled princess, thanks to her black wings. She knew almost nothing about Nina's personality, her childhood, her aspirations and well, her hobbies. Was it because she did not have experience in talking about these kind of things to other people, or was it because…..

"Look out!" A voice, familiar and warm cried out. Both girls look up to see a blurry object hurtling towards them, full of heat and the rage of Bob. The fireball, reddish orange in colour somehow looked like what Hell was like for the two friends as they stood immobile, watching their impending deaths coming towards them gradually, as though time had slowed down just for them to enjoy their last moments of their lives…..

Another blur descended upon them and as quickly as it landed, it grabbed both of their hands and leapt out of harm's way. The mass of flame once again displayed its destructive power, eating greedily at the little bit of grass on the mound Katt and Nina were standing on a moment before. "Are you alright?" The two of them turned towards the owner of the voice, who had let go of their hands and stood in front of them, hands held in a fighting stance. The man was towered over them, his long, flowing blonde mane reaching down to his lower back. Katt was the first to snap out of her daze and thought hard about the familiarity of their savior's voice. "Hmm….baggy clerical garb, muscular arms, soothing tones…..Ah-ha! He must be none other than….."

"Ray Braddock!" The Woren cried out, half in triumph at solving the little riddle and half in surprise that of all people, he would be here to rescue them. This was indeed a day of surprises for her, she thought, bemused. Although she could not see it, Katt was sure that the striking man was showing a lopsided smile.

"I see you still have energy to remember such a lowly cleric as me," He said, somewhat amused. The tone of his voice soon turned serious, however. "Stay behind me. The Cerberus is too dangerous an opponent for you girls right now. Let me take care of it."

Now she was pissed. Who does he think he is? So what if he rescued them? So what if he is charismatic and….handsome? It's not like his magic of healing can do any more damage than the both of them had done earlier and that would be a few pricks and ONE bleeding head. What could he possibly do?

As the monster charged, Katt felt tension rise in her body as she readied her body to spring into action once the healer gets himself into a fix. The three pairs of yellowish canine eyes fixed themselves on Ray as they surveyed him, as though trying to determine whether he was sumptuous enough for them to share and devour. They slowed and gradually walked towards the cleric, getting so close that their dribble was almost dropping on Ray.

Then the unexpected happened.

The dog seemed to back away and Katt could not be sure, but she thought she had seen expressions of fear, doubt and loathing from the three faces of the Cerberus. As she got closer to look out of curiosity, she could catch a glimpse of Ray's eyes。

And was thoroughly shocked by what she saw.

Instead of the warm and friendly face she had seen before, Ray Braddock's features were now contorted into a mask of bloodlust and darkness. There was nothing humorous about the smile on his face as he walked towards the dog slowly, clenching an ornate and ancient sword which materialized out of nowhere. He stepped towards the terrified canine, slowly and purposefully. He seemed to be uttering something, which Katt could not understand even if she could hear him. It was some strange language and somehow, it made the fur on her body stand on an end. It seemed so….otherworldly and…..she did not really know how to describe it. The next thing she knew was that a crimson flash of light blinded her and an unearthly howl of terror, pain and….surprise could be heard. As the radiance subsided, she slowly opened her eyes and saw a smiling Ray, a complete contrast from what he looked like earlier.

"There! It's done! By the way, what are you girls doing out here anyway?" the tone of his voice was anything but hostile and insidious. The slightly taken aback girls recovered quickly and nodded affirmatively. He smiled briefly and turned to cure the villagers of their zombified states. Suddenly, a racket was heard and he saw two figures sprinting towards him. Ray had no time to dodge the runners and was knocked down by the shorter one. "What the- Who are you? Are you hurt, good sir?"

The face was literally covered with golden brown fur, as was the rest of his body. This stranger seemed to look like a Highlander. The person next to him, however, was familiar.

"Ryu! What are you doing here?" Ray asked, a shocked expression on his face. As if on cue, the villagers woke up, expressions of confusion apparent on their faces.

"Hey there, Ray! This guy here says that he needed me for his magician's Disappearing Act so here I am."

"Hear ye! Hear ye! Ladies and gentlemen! Lads and lasses! People of Winidia! You are about to witness the best magician in the region work his magic! The grand and famous Disappearing Act!" As confused as the rest of the villagers, Ray watched on in astonishment and bemusement as the Highlander set up a miniature stage, with Ryu dragged onto it. With a groan of protest, Ryu was pushed into a enormous box with a huge question mark on it. "Now, let Legacy Magnifique show you the Disappearing Act!" He waved a blue cloak over the box and seemed to mutter something which sounded like magical incantations. A column of smoke rose from the box dissolved into the air as quickly as it appeared. As the box opened, it was empty.

The astonishment was evident from the crowd, who had more or less forgot about their confusion of finding themselves waking up in the middle of the streets. Most of them were cheering and some even threw in generous amounts of gold. "Thank you very much. Now, the master magician is busy and needs to go-"

"Argh!!" A familiar voice seemed to sound from within the ground, shocking the front part of the crowd who stepped back in fear. Had the magic offended some unknown God of the depths?

Their questions were quickly answered as a blue-haired head managed to pop itself out of a part of softer ground. Nina gasped and fluttering over to the dazed but otherwise unhurt Ryu, she proceeded to dig enough space for the Ranger's arms to come out. Katt came not long after and the two girls pulled him out. Ryu dusted his clothes and folded his arms, watching amusingly as an angry mob advanced upon the trickster menacingly.

"H-Hang on there, ladies and gentlemen. I meant for him to appear there! Yes, it wasn't just some stupid trick involving a dug hole and-oops." Sten covered his mouth as he realized he had given away himself. He turned tail and ran, only to see stars and darkness swarming over him like a cloud of pestilence……..

Sorry for the weak ending. It is all I can manage after a tight and busy schedule this last few months. Please read and review! Hopefully you guys can recommend this story to your friends or something and do give me comments on my writing, the ups and downs of it. Thank you and sorry for the late update!! '''


	11. Chapter 6: Awaken once more, Ryu!

Hiya all. Sorry it took so long for me to come back. No matter what you say, I've been lazy writing this as I was off on a 'no computers' vacation. Geez…parents seem to oppose the idea of writing fanfiction, but here I am, back again after a long hiatus to present to you…Chapter 6!

Enjoy!

Breath of Fire 2: Chapter 6-Awaken once more, Ryu! The Reptile vs. Reptile contest

He stood there, as silent as the night.

How long had it been? Five, six years? He had not counted, nor had he bothered to. All that matters now to him was that he was back in his hometown, the only place he could truly find peace throughout his twenty-five years of life.

Yet, there was no nostalgic feeling, no bittersweet memories appearing in his mind to welcome him back with open arms. The familiarity was gone, as was the warmth he had felt before, replaced by a cold, brooding silence. It was as if the Darkness had taken over everything, destroying any benevolence left in this town and in its place, false memories.

What had happened? How long had it been like this? He did not know. But one thing was clear to him, and that was to find the culprit who did this to his hometown and pay him back tenfold-no, hundredfold.

There was also a mission for him to complete and he struggled for a while between duty and honor. It only took a brief second before he chose his path. Blending and merging with the shadows, he was invisible to the naked eye. Moving swiftly, silently, he weaved his way through the maze of streets and alleys and finally caught sight of his target. Without any hesitation, he made quick work of the target's lackeys, lightning movements so fluid that no normal person can see how his body moved, the blurs of movement deadly and yet majestic.

Turning around to finish what he would call an 'easy catch', his target surprisingly parried his slash, sending a thrust with intent similar to his. He was forced to dodge repeatedly as the rapier attacked successively, intending to rupture his throat, eyes and head. Cursing himself for being too arrogant, he grabbed the rapier with his gloved hand and sent a disemboweling slash towards the neck of his opponent. Instead of seeing that satisfying spray of blood, he was greeted by a fist in his face, sending him reeling.

"Shit." He cursed under his breath, recovering quickly and deftly evading the expertly timed fists and thrusts of the now free rapier. This was not good. If someone did pass by, the secrecy of his mission would well be exposed like camera film under the sunlight. He had to end this quickly.

Doing an acrobatic back flip, he sheathed his sword and as his feet touched the wall behind him, he did an explosive mid-air charge at his opponent, who was shocked by the feat.

That was the last mistake the target ever made.

Deftly cleaning his blade, he searched the dead man's body and came upon what he needed to complete his objective. Not taking another glance at the corpse's bulging wallet and exquisite rapier, he stole off into the night. Performing actions of thievery on people he had to assassinate was against his principles. Besides, one of these days, the stolen items would bring him misfortune indefinitely, as evidence of his guilt.

He ran as though he was being chased by the legendary Cerberus from Hell, speedily making his way through the streets before the deed he had done was made known. Having the knack of memorizing his way in, he traveled quickly and in no time at all, he was out into the cool desert, feeling the pleasant cold wind upon his clothes. There was no time to enjoy the cool eddy for him, though, as he mumbled a few words and sped off at such a pace that he was invisible to the naked eye. Soon enough, he reached his destination, neither sweating nor panting much. A feat, considering the fact that he had ran more than ten miles. His two companions turned and grinned at him, both looking like men in their late thirties.

"You've made it again in time for dinner, Karn," The first man spoke, his face surprisingly radiant and full of youth as he walked towards the assassin, his smooth azure hair seemed to glow in the moonlight. "Though I do sense that you seem to be losing your touch…"

"Shut up, bastard." Karn grinned, knowing that his friend would take that insult lightly. "If you are trying to say I'm old, then you are no better." He wiped the sweat off his eyebrow and strolled towards the campfire site his two other companions had set up. "So, what's for dinner?"

"I got a little something different this time, friend. Finally caught some ostriches running along earlier on." His other friend, one of the last surviving Forest People, smiled, his canine features eerily resembling that of a demon. A friendly demon, that is.

"Ostriches? Geez….I know I wanted something different, Gilliam, but ostriches? It's just so weird." Karn took a sip from the laden he used to scoop up the stew. "Though I gotta admit, it doesn't taste as weird as it sounds."

"Maybe it's just because of the fact that my cooking skills have improved again." The man who had greeted him first grinned, his dark blue hair seeming to glow with help from the moonlight. His two other companions laughed and all sat down for their late dinner, talking and laughing about the 'good old times' and the adventures they had when they were younger.

After they had finished with the meal, the man with the azure hair stopped his jokes and began to talk about serious matters.

"Hey Karn, how did your business go about? Was it a success?"

"Feh, it was I guess, though the target gave me a harder time than I imagine he could. I just don't understand one thing. How can killing Cillard Banster impact the decisions of the people?"

"You will know in time to come, friend. As long as my source is right, we will be able to take the town back from those damned aristocrats."

"You mean that Gramps? Goddamnit, you never tell us how and what exactly you get and use to contact Ladon, although I could imagine that the old bugger wasn't happy about having to do this kind of favors for us."

"You worry too much, Karn. Knowing Ladon, he will always intervene in the affairs of humans. Speaking of which, how do you think our disciple is doing now, Ryu?"

The blue-haired man turned back from gazing at the moon with a solemn expression coupled with a sad smile. "Oh, him? I'm sure he's doing just fine." He smiled again and gazed back at the now starlit sky, the faraway look in his eyes present once again. Smiling softly, he left his own friends to their devices, who had sensed that he needed some time alone. He gazed at the stars, searching for the brightest one to represent **Her**.

"Yes…He will be just fine. Isn't that right, Nina?"

* * *

"Ahhh! Don't hurt me! Please! I swear I won't do it again! I'll turn over a new leaf! I'll-"

You will what, monkey man?" Katt stood menacingly, looming over the stuttering Highlander Sten Legacy, who seemed to have woken up from a nightmare. He shielded his eyes from the seemingly intense sunlight and stared at Katt in amazement and fear. "What? Stop staring and tell me what the heck you will do!" Katt roared, out of curiosity and anger at the "magician" that was lying on 'her' extra sleeping bag.

The Highlander cowered again and apologized profusely. "Alright, alright! I'm sorry I stared at you, but I'm quite amazed and relieved that you haven't tried to clobber me yet, considering the fact that your anger was enough to kill people. By the way, I don't know what I will do since that is only a nightmare." Sten laughed nervously, hoping that the Woren will not question him further and find out he was actually having the nightmare of Katt torturing him, tickling his feet with dozens of feathers.

"Hey Katt, the both of you seem to be getting along well, considering the fact that your anger-" Ryu walked towards them and away from the campfire they had set up a while ago, greeting the both of them cheerfully before being grabbed by Katt and shaken for good measure.

"WHO'S GETTING ALONG WELL WITH HIM? THAT BASTARD TRICKED US, TOOK **MY** EXTRA SLEEPING BAG AND INSULTED ME! AND DON'T BRING UP THE MATTER OF MY ANGER BEING ABLE TO KILL AGAIN YOU HEAR!"

Ryu laughed nervously at Katt's livid facial expression and reaction. Being grabbed by the collar and shaken by an extremely furious Woren was the mildest thing that could happen to him when he dealt with one. Despite that, he was told that female Worens are generally quite submissive until provoked. He felt lucky at having escaped the dangerous fists and claws of Katt currently and mentally breathed a sigh of relief when Katt "Hmmphed" and let him go. He backed away and looked at Sten, who was unconscious, a new pretty bruise added to his collection on his head. Ryu sighed. When will Katt ever learn to control her temper? He never really understood Katt's fury at the matter of Sten burying him. In fact, he thought it was rather funny and amusing that Sten was acting as a fake magician when he could actually conjure some half-decent spells at the very least. Well…At least that was what Nina told him, since she was several times more sensitive to magic than Ryu or Katt.

"Ryu, Katt, Mr. Legacy, the food is ready!" Nina called out to them. Ryu smiled and walked over while Katt stomped her way past him to the cooking pot. The ranger shook his head in amusement at Katt's actions and proceeded to sit down between the girls for his breakfast consisting mostly of stew…again.

"When are we going to reach Capitan anyway? It seems so long ago that we had started traveling. Sheesh!" Katt's usual complaints started again. Nina giggled at that while Ryu sighed, finishing the rest of his stew off wordlessly. The party had only set off from Winidia to Capitan for only a day and yet Katt was already complaining. Ryu felt an urge to throw a sarcastic comment into Katt's face and get her mad again. He did not know why, but he seemed to enjoy getting on Katt's nerves and getting her all worked up about anything of late. However, he just felt too tired and confused now due to the revelation that he was probably the sole surviving member of the Berserker Dragon Clan. Adding to this assumption was his bewilderment about his emotions towards Nina. Although he did feel something there for the exiled princess, he wasn't sure what it was and did not want to explore it as of yet.

They were traveling to Capitan as they had heard gossip of how a black-winged girl wearing strange clothing was seen heading towards Capitan. Despite the possibility of this being a false lead, Ryu decided firmly to believe the bartender and travel to Capitan for further information about the thief. After that, he would be able to clear up the misunderstanding about Bow Doggie and they would have to get back to work as Rangers.

But what of his two lovely companions, Katt Chuan and Nina Wyndia? A champion fighter and an exiled princess were not really ideal for the roles of Rangers, even if he did wanted them to join him (plus the fact that Bow might be a bit more enthusiastic in doing his jobs). After those little adventures and run-ins with Ryu, he had a feeling that his life will never be the same again. He will never go back to being a Ranger, at least for a long time. Somehow, he wished he was able to get more answers out of the eccentric Dragon God…

"What are you thinking about, Ryu?" Nina asked curiously and uncertainly. She had moved away a little from Ryu when he had sat down partly due to her shyness and partly because of what had happened between them on the balcony. Perhaps it was due to her own sadness that she had acted that way. Perhaps it was just a spur of impulsiveness on both of their parts. Perhaps…

Ryu sighed. "This is getting nowhere…" He thought. He smiled at Nina while averting her eyes and said "Nothing much…" before rising and went to pack up their equipment. Everything was just too weird now.

"By the way, where's Ray? His things are still with us, aren't they? Wonder where he went off to…" Katt pondered aloud, prompting her two companions to turn their heads towards her simultaneously.

"I went to meditate and pray for a while, Miss Chuan." Katt jumped three feet into the air as Ray stepped out from the forest of trees behind her. Ryu and Nina smiled at him in greeting while he nodded his head amiably in return.

"S-Stop doing this kind of things to me, cleric! It scares the cat outta me, geez! Seriously, you people act like ghosts nowadays…Wonder how people are still able to see all of you…" Katt rambled, flustered by the fact that she had been surprised for the third time in a week, a highly unusual occurrence for a Woren, considering that they had senses which were better than a normal human by two times. Ray just laughed good-naturedly and proceeded to help Ryu.

* * *

"I suppose this is part of the deal if I want to join you people." Sten shouted in the midst of fighting a few dozen irritating K.Goblins. His Zip daggers shone wickedly as the Highlander satisfied the thirst for blood of his weapons. Despite Katt's protests, Ryu decided to take Sten along, mostly because he had declared himself to be a "poor and hungry man, alone and unwanted, thus having to resort to trickery to earn him a meager wage to live on". Ryu wanted a payment from him, and that was to help them fight any enemies they encounter on their journey and give them aid whenever the need arises. Furthermore, Ray had taken the gold he had swindled from the Winidians and returned it to them. Besides, if things get out of hand, there was always his 'master' or rather, 'mistress' in the form of Katt Chuan, ready to throw him off a cliff into a sea of sharks without batting an eyelid. Thus, it came to be that Sten Legacy had became an obedient servant to the Woren, doing everything she says and staying close to her, literally becoming her shadow. Ray found it amusing and said so, almost earning him a black eye from the fighter herself.

"Is it just me, or are the numbers of monsters increasing ever since we traveled from Winidia?" Ryu exclaimed in an exasperated voice while nonchalantly stabbing a Deathpede in the abdomen. Although no one was really having a tough time fighting, the number of monsters swarming over them was ridiculous, especially since the timid K.Goblins came in such large groups to attack them.

"There is something unnatural about this. I can feel it too, my friend." Ray said as he knocked a Devilkid unconscious and ended its life swiftly with a sweeping slash. "I've sensed a faint evil force following us since we have left the kingdom of wings. He is able to hide his powers well."

"My, good old Ray Braddock. You actually knew I was nearby!" The voice drawled. A giant flare came from the sky above and landed on the group of creatures who were not battling. As the party opened their eyes once more, there was nothing left at the spot. The ones who were fighting with the adventurers soon scattered, fleeing madly in pure terror.

"Weaklings. All good-for-nothings. Do I have to do everything myself?" The man floated down, a twisted smile evident on his beautiful face.

"You!" Katt shouted while Nina stared in amazement and mild anger. It was the well-dressed man whom they had met earlier in Winidia. He grinned cheekily and blew a kiss to Katt, who trembled in anger and disgust.

"Ahh, such a vision of beauty. Anger does not suit you, dear Katt. Even Bob tells me that. You know, the three of you had hurt him terribly and that saddens me. Why couldn't you play with him instead of fighting him? He's just a baby after all-"

"Shut up, you bastard! You almost killed us with that damned canine and yet have the cheek to show up here. I'm gonna-"

Katt suddenly felt all stiff and unable to move, her bow staff raised in the mid-air. The man laughed a deep throaty laugh and motioning with his fingers, dragged Katt towards him. "I take back what I say, Katt. Perhaps feistiness suits a lovely girl like you instead. I wouldn't like my women without a decent fight." The man grinned maliciously, although his beauty was not lost through the evil expression on his face. Cupping Katt's chin, he proceeded to stare into her eyes. "Such exquisite emeralds. Befitting for a charming kitten."

Without warning, Ryu let his emotions take over and circled the man, viciously cleaving at him. He did not hear the satisfying ripping of muscles or a scream of pain. Instead, he opened a slit in the ground the man had previously stood on.

"Tsk, tsk. Youths nowadays are so impetuous and rude to their elders. Are you that jealous that I'll be taking your friend away, Ryu Bateson?"

Ryu's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Let her go now, pretty boy, or I'll be forced to make you more 'beautiful' than you already are."

He spoke with such great hatred that even Nina was taken aback. She was naturally worried about her Woren friend, especially when she was in such a dire situation, but what was the pain in her chest about? Surely she wasn't **that **worried about Katt. Then what could it be about? Could it actually be that she was…jealous?

The man smiled at Ryu recklessly and kissed Katt on her lips before breaking the spell on her and leaping away to a safe distance. "Hope you remember the memento, my dear Katt!" He winked and dodged the Spark spell thrown by Nina before floating upwards.

"You bastard! Come down and fight like a man!" Ryu hollered, seething with great anger. His grip on his sword tightened considerably, so much that it hurt even him. Why was he so angry in the first place anyway?

For once, Ryu did not care about that. All he wanted now was to teach that infidel a lesson he will never forget. He retreated ten steps, sprinted forward and used Sten's shoulders as a lever to jump higher, so that he could reach the accursed man. Using the best technique he was taught, he readied his sword and attacked the man with eight multiple lightning-quick slashes…

…Only to have his adversary smile sinisterly and dodge the first seven of them. After that he seemed to draw…something and a loud sound of clashing metals were heard. Ryu felt as though an almighty fist had hit him at point-blank range and he was sent flying through the air. He landed clumsily in front of Katt, who seemed extremely stunned at this whole turn of events.

"Ryu! Are you alright?" The Ranger sat up groggily and stared at his green-eyed friend. Her worry threatened to overwhelm him as Katt helped him up, held his face steady and she stared into his eyes to see if Ryu was still conscious or not.

_Wow…Lovely emerald eyes. I'll agree that much with him…_

The man chuckled humorlessly at the scene before him and he floated to the ground. "It seems that Katt is rather worried about you, friend and I simply can't see such a beautiful girl showing such distress. It simply tears my heart to pieces." The statement was said in such a melodramatic way that Ryu's anger returned and he forced himself to come to his senses.

Damned! Where was his sword? Ryu looked about until he saw it in the left hand of his adversary-both parts of it. Apparently, it had been broken into two by the force of his enemy while he drew his sword, the one with the crimson runes in his right. His grin widened and his gauntleted left hand crushed the two parts of the sword simply by clenching his fist. The adventurers watched in disbelief as metallic powder dropped to the ground, the only remnants of what was left of the sword.

"You are still too weak, Lord Bateson," Ryu's head snapped up at the comment. "There are questions, many questions in your mind. They will be answered in due time, and that will be when we meet the next time. Till then, I hope you can become much stronger and give me a **real **fight, one without the use of such worthless…toothpicks" He eyed the pile of metallic powder with distaste "and real, raw power and skills."

"However," He continued while flying in the air now, two red devilish wings visible on his back. "I will tell you my name. It is Andaroy Darksoul. Remember it, and remember your humiliation well, Ryu Bateson. Till we meet again!" He quickly flew off into the night, his laughter filled with insanity no human could encompass.

"Wait!-" Ryu shouted in frustration and anger, but his brain protested and he fell to the ground in a kneeling position, trying to catch his breath and clear his head. He struggled to his feet and shrugged off Katt's hand on his shoulder to look at the dreary night sky, filled with depressing dark clouds. Ryu clenched his fists and looked down. "Damn it…"

Katt and Nina were at his side in the blink of an eye, both looking extremely concerned while Ray slowly walked towards the blue-haired teen. "Are you okay?" Katt exclaimed first, her face lined with concern that Nina thought she might as well have aged ten years.

Only silence and the cold harsh wind blowing from the south greeted her.

* * *

That night, Ryu literally became a mute. He either nodded his reply to Nina when she asked him whether he wanted her to cook tonight or just stare at the ground as though he wanted to bear a hole in it with his eyes alone. He slept alone, away from the group as most of them shrugged their shoulders and gave up talking to him. Ray prayed for him to St.Evrai, sighed deeply and went to sleep.

"Ryu…" Katt thought about the events which took place earlier on. Why had he seemed so angry? Was it because Andaroy had forcefully stolen her first kiss? If so, then was the way he reacted an act of jealousy? She didn't know, but at least she could identify the fact that it was her in particular that should not disturb him. Sighing deeply, she turned over and went to sleep, her dreams chaotic and confusing. "Ryu…Please be alright…"

Little did she know that the other female in the group was up, unable to get a wink of sleep at all. Nina Eraine Wyndia lay wide awake on her sleeping bag and despite the warmth of her wings she shivered, though because of an entirely different reason.

Although she had known Ryu for no more than two months, she always thought of Ryu as a kind-hearted, cheerful and strong (and a bit klutzy at times) person who would always help the weak and those in trouble. She had never seen him so angry before. Worse still, she could feel the radiation of anger from him; it was wild, uncontrolled and so great that she thought it was directed to everyone else other than Andaroy Darksoul. Determined to find out what was wrong with her Ranger friend, she brushed away the shyness towards Ryu that had consumed her and floated silently over to the unmoving, sleeping form.

"…Yes, Nina? Is there anything wrong?" A voice, devoid of cheerfulness and filled with fatigue whispered. Nina thought her heart had jumped out from her mouth.

"…N-No…There's nothing wrong with the place we are resting at." She played with her fingers, unsure of what she should say despite her resolution to finally talk to Ryu properly. "Ehh…Erm…Are you…"

"Don't worry, Nina. I'm fine now."

"Eh?"

"I'm fine, I said."

Nina gave a small smile and squatted beside him. "But you don't sound like you are, Ryu."

Silence.

"…Not especially when you are acting so strangely. You would always be the one to call us all to sleep together, near each other. Even Sten is afraid of you now, you know."

More silence.

Nina sighed. Since when was Ryu so difficult? "Ryu, we are all very worried about you. You don't have to talk to us that much, really. But do show us that you are okay and please don't isolate yourself. I…We are all extremely concerned that this kind of attitude-"

"-Will invoke the berserker in me again?" Ryu blurted out of the blue. He silently cursed himself. That was rude, alright and Nina deserved the least of his uncouthness. "Seriously, I'm alright, Nina. Stop worrying yourself like that…"

"That's precisely why I'm-We're worried! You suddenly shut out all of us and give us such a vague answer! If I wasn't your friend then I wouldn't have gotten so worked up about this!"

Ryu winced slightly and was surprised that the Winidian princess had actually got so agitated over such an insignificant matter to him. He turned, trying hard not to show that surprised expression on his face, only to see Nina's ocean blue eyes shimmering with hidden tears, refusing to flow down her smooth cheeks. The ranger's heart softened. Maybe he had hit a nerve there. Nina was an exiled princess after all and only could show that much care for her family. Now he was denying her concern as one of the first friends she has and pushing her away.

Nina turned away slightly, and rubbed her eyes furiously, lest the droplets did fall. Why had it always come to this? Nobody seemed to understand her feelings. All she wanted was the best for her friend here, who stubbornly refused her concern and even-

"I'm sorry…"

"Eh?" She turned back, a look of confusion on her face. An apology was the least she expected from the brooding teen before her.

Ryu stifled a smile at her cute expression of surprise and turned away for reasons unknown even to him. "I'm sorry for not being strong enough. I've felt that despair of being defeated a few times, but this time is different."

"I wasn't able to protect Katt from that bastard. I couldn't do a thing to him at all. All it took was one blow from him to blow me away. For the first time, I felt a new desperation of not being able to help my friends when they are in need. I was powerless." He sat up suddenly, clenching his fist tightly with an expression on his face that is enough to make demons sympathize with him. "I felt so weak and helpless and thought maybe I'm fit for this kind of traveling, fighting such immensely powerful characters in the world. Maybe I should have stayed as a 2nd class Ranger in Hometown…"

"That's not true and you know it, Ryu! Everyone knows you have been doing your very best trying to protect us, but…" Nina twirled her silky blonde hair in her fingers. "…But you can't fight a battle on your own! You can only do so much, and as your friends, we will help to fill in whatever you left out! Isn't that better than bearing such a heavy burden on your mind?" Nina smiled cheerfully at him. "Therefore, I hope you can revert to your old self again and do something about what you feel you lack in…"

"Thanks, Nina."

"Eh?"

Ryu laughed. "That's the third time you said "Eh?" already." He laughed softly at the faint blush on Nina's cheeks. "Thank you very much. You've just enlightened me about what I should do instead of moping around. Let's go sleep. We've got a long day ah-achoo!"

Now it was Nina's turn to giggle while Ryu mock-glared at her. "Sorry, Ryu. I couldn't help it. But aren't you going to move back near the campfire with us?"

"Why don't you move over here with me instead?" Ryu said mischievously, although in truth he still did not want to sleep as a group with the rest. 'The cold must have gotten to my head. Why am I teasing her now?' Surprisingly, Nina nodded shyly and grabbing her sleeping bad, floated over and placed it next to Ryu's, who was quite astonished. He blushed at the thought of having a gorgeous princess sleeping next to him and turned away from her quickly. "G-Goodnight."

"Goodnight…" Came the reply. Ryu fidgeted even more when he realized he was indeed quite cold, thanks to the accursed cold wind. He shivered violently and sneezed. 'Damned, should've brought the warmer sleeping bag along..."

As his thoughts strayed, he suddenly felt something warm covering him. He reached out and touched his substitute blanket and it shied away a little. 'It feels just like…a bird's feathery wing…'

"Don't touch my wings at the tip, please. It's rather sensitive there…" Nina spoke so shyly that Ryu could hardly hear her at all. It was then he realized the 'blanket' was black in color and plucking up his courage, he looked to his left.

Nina Eraine Wyndia was sleeping right next to him, her sleeping bag joined with his while her two wings covered both of them like a smooth satin cover of dreams.

"W-Wh-Wha…" Ryu was at a loss for words. Had there been a little bit of light, the Ranger was sure that the hue of red on their faces was enough to put the ripest tomatoes to shame. He mentally kicked himself again for not having more interaction with the opposite sex beforehand. Catching himself stammering, Ryu quickly stuttered a "T-Th-Thank Y-You" before flipping over to the other side and trying to count as many sheep as possible.

One hour later, Ryu found out yet another thing about the Winidian princess and her sleeping habits, something far worse than merely sleeping beside him.

Mumbling incoherently, Nina suddenly hugged Ryu from behind and smiled contently. "Mmmm…" She gave a sigh of pleasure as she cuddled Ryu.

"Oh, the torture! Someone control my sanity please!" Ryu mentally cried out, feeling the soft feeling of Nina's breasts against his back. "Help!" The mental plea was only to be greeted by sadistic laughter from a friendly reptilian voice. Cursing Ladon, Ryu prayed hard for the morning to come swiftly…

* * *

"What's wrong, Ryu? You look like you haven't slept a wink." Sten commented somewhat cautiously. Although Ryu had claimed he was back to normal, the bloodshot eyes indicated otherwise.

"Hah?" A bleary-eyed Ranger answered him, not at all paying any attention to anything except the mental image of Nina smothering him literally with her tight embrace. He was walking in such a daze that his companions started to doubt the validity of Nina's and his words.

"He asked if there was anything wrong with you, Mr. Ranger!" Katt's face suddenly loomed up in front of him.

"Oouuuah!" Ryu stumbled back like an idiot, this time wide awake. A close encounter with a member of the opposite sex was enough. He did not need another one butting into his thoughts. Nuh-uh.

Ray chuckled. He had more or less guessed that there was some embarrassing 'secret' between Nina and Ryu the night before, though he would prefer not to think along 'that' line. Respecting their wishes to keep mum on that issue, Ray just quietly traveled with them.

It wasn't long before they had finally reached Capitan, the town of great workmanship and art & craft. Although it was not a developed city nor was it large in size, most of the exquisite pottery and antiques were shipped into this town and designed here. In fact, the Capitan builders were famous for the construction of the Temple of St.Evrai and their ancestors were responsible for carving the ornate shapes of statues of gods.

Expecting a huge group of people in the market square and near its entrance, Ray was rather surprised to find that the streets were relatively quiet and deserted. Only a few people roamed the place and cast furtive glances at the newcomers before looking away and darting into their homes or somewhere safe.

"Isn't this weird? There're so little people around…Wasn't Capitan suppose to be a bustling city of activity? What's going on?" Even as Sten spoke, the silence that ensued was deafening and the streets began to empty itself of people, leaving the five travelers alone in the streets.

"In case you haven't notice, I only see women and children around. The men are all missing. Other than that, not one shop is open and from the looks of it, even the tavern is about to close." Ryu mused. "Come on, guys! Let's get to the tavern to find out what has happened to Capitan." With that, he strided quickly towards the inn with his companions hot on his heels.

The tavern was literally empty, save for a young female bartender. She was cleaning the wine glasses when the party entered, causing her to look up. At first glance, the woman gave them a look of caution but as her eyes wandered to the bow staff and Zip daggers, she smiled a relieved smile and beckoned to them to come closer.

"I believe you want to know some things about this town, am I right?" all of them nodded. "Well, it is said that something is down below our city, hiding and producing monsters which come out at night to take away our men for reasons unknown. About a month ago, at least six men disappeared every night. Eventually some of our male folk decided enough was enough and they traced the monster's hideout to be our sewers. They went down to look for the men but never came back. Now even children are disappearing. All the townsfolk fear for their lives, you see, but none of us women dared to travel out far due to an abnormal increase in monsters outside our town. Two women have traveled in the night only to be found dead the next day!"

"How about the boats? Surely you can take that and travel to safer places…"

"That's the problem, master cleric. Even the boats have mysteriously broken down and we found most of the boatmen drowned or dead, apparently scared to death. We hardly trust any foreigners who venture into our city and usually chased them out. Now we don't even have the strength or the numbers to do that."

Ray Braddock's facial features hardened. He was very sure this was the work of demons he had been told to hunt down and exterminate. According to his knowledge, many demons usually plague their victims with countless problems and later instill terror into them, feeding on their fears and grow stronger. In the end, these abominations would feast upon the defenseless and the weak left to die. He had to do something, whether Ryu and his friends wanted to involve themselves in this or not.

Ryu seemed a little agitated as he stared at nothing in particular, thinking about the possibilities of a demon causing such havoc in the peaceful, innocent town of Capitan. It was likely that demons had wanted to feed on such easy targets, but why was he getting the vibe that he was involved in all of this?

Why did he feel that the demons were challenging him rather than merely feeding on human souls?

He shook the thoughts aside and asked about the girl with bat wings. To his dismay, the female bartender shook her head sadly but asked whether they were going to help save the town since "it has been a long while since adventurers pass by…"

Without second thought, Ryu smiled and agreed to it, despite the protests of Sten, who was quickly silenced by a deadly glare from Katt. Despite not having his sword, Ryu knew he had to improvise if he was to help solve the mystery of the missing townsfolk.

After taking a room for the day (which was free of charge since the bartender had said this was part of a payment in return for their services), the adventurers sat down on their beds and began to discuss the matter.

"Well, what do you think, Ray?" Katt asked curiously, breaking the uneventful hush that had covered them. She could not think up of any ideas as of yet and only knew that she could prove more helpful in the search for the men and children.

"Hmm…" Ray's brows were furrowed and his eyes had lost the jovial glitter in them. He was dead serious. "It could possibly be the work of demons that my Church had requested me to destroy. Causing mayhem, creating trouble, killing and kidnapping people and forcing them to live in constant fear…All this seems just like what the demons would do."

Nina nodded her approval, but Ryu kept on frowning. "Is there something wrong with my thesis, my friend?" Ray asked, providing a cue for Ryu to voice his opinions.

"There's nothing wrong, Ray, but don't you find it strange?"

"Strange?" Came the echoed reply.

"Yes." Ryu stood up and paced about the room slowly. "Had the demons been ravenous, they wouldn't take several weeks for the townsfolk to vanish off the face of the earth if they willed it. True, that would seem suspicious to advocates and Demon-Slayers from St.Evrai, but if that is so, the demons could have chosen a more remote and quiet town instead of Capitan. It is a small town alright, but it is not inconspicuous. This place is frequented by people wanting to build new structures and such. Surely they don't want people to know of the possibility of them being around, would they?"

Sten shifted uncomfortably. "So what are you trying to say, Ryu? That the demons want to be famous or something?"

"No," Ray cut in, realization apparent in his voice. "It seems that they are challenging someone to go down there and fight them."

"But why?" Nina was puzzled. She had read of demons and their insatiable appetite for souls. It was hard to imagine that their pride would precede their diabolical cravings.

Ryu stopped pacing and faced the rest of his friends. "I've been thinking about it, Nina. Remember Joker? And Katt, I don't believe you had forgotten Augus the two-headed freak either."

"What are you getting at, Ryu?" Katt's ears twitched nervously, partly because of her eagerness for answers which she could bear to spend the time to think up of and partly due to the memory of fighting the two-headed wolf-demon.

"Those fiends were and are still waiting for us. They were targeting us all along. By threatening to kill off the townsfolk in a way, we will be left with little choice but to fight and defeat them or die trying." Ryu left out the part about his assumptions that the demons were in fact marking him, since they had spoken to him on several occasions.

And there was the Andaroy incident…What had he meant by "Lord Bateson"?

Ray rose to his feet, the spirit of battle clear in his eyes. "Well, that said, let's go down and free the people from the clutches of those detestable beings." He reached for the door but suddenly leapt back, crashing into Katt who had followed him. "My friends! We have been surrounded! We have to fight our way out!"

No sooner had he spoken did dozens of demons and huge insects crashed in through the windows, walls and door. The demons had two horns on their foreheads and were thoroughly naked except for a loin cloth around their groins. It seems that they had not much use for weapons as the razor-sharp claws from their arms proved that fact well. Ryu hardly had time to draw his short sword from his leg and parried several frenzied blows from the demons. Shouting a battle cry, Ryu took a few claw slashes to his chest and decapitated three demons. Ray himself was having little difficulty as his powerful two-handed mace flared with holy energies, batting demons aside like pests.

Nina was having an extremely difficult time as she had no melee weapon to use and her destructive magic could destroy the whole building. Furthermore, her wings were an obstruction to her movements as she could neither fly nor dodge quickly. She desperately used the energies generated from her magic ring to fend off attacks from the insects. One of the bugs managed to breach her defenses…

…Only to be repelled by a bow staff out for demonic blood. Katt Chuan jumped in front of Nina, who was slightly panting from the exercise the demons had given her.

"Are you alright, Nina?"

"Ah…U-Un! Don't worry about me. Look out in front!" Following Nina's warning, the insect leapt at Katt with a bloodlust. She dodged it for the first time but the creepy-crawly suddenly seemed to lengthened and hit her square on her stomach.

"Ahh!" Katt cried out in pain as blood dribbled out from her mouth due to the attack. She was about to get up and face the thing again when a certain Highlander stepped in front of her.

"Leave this to me, Mistress!" Sten exclaimed. To her amazement, he began summoning energies from his hairy hands. Without pausing, Sten placed his hands together as though he was meditating and closed his eyes. He opened his eyes as the spell fell into place and a yellowish-indigo ball of power launched from his hands and into the midst of the remaining six insects.

Without warning, the ball exploded and so did the insects in a rain of greenish blood. A survivor tried to skitter away but Ryu impaled it with his short sword. Pulling out the sword with a sickening sound, Ryu walked over to the others, helping them up or taking a look at their wounds.

"Let me do the healing, my friend." Ray told the ranger, who nodded wordlessly and looked on as Ray cast a powerful healing spell over the whole party. Ryu felt an indescribable comfort descend onto him as his wounds healed, all fatigue lost from his body.

"Katt! Hey, Katt! What's wrong?" Ryu heard the panic in Sten's voice and whipped his head in the Woren's direction. The wound on her stomach had healed, but her complexion was a pale contrast to her original tanned one.

"Poison. Step away, Sten. I don't know what medium this poison spreads through. Everyone please try to hold your breath for as long as possible." Ray exclaimed in a commandeering voice and everyone obeyed. Ryu watched as Ray conjured up a Remedy spell and concentrated the energies at the abdomen of Katt. She cried out before vomiting black blood and fainted in Ray's arms.

"Katt!" Ryu rushed to her side and watched her worriedly, to which Ray gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. He carried her onto an intact bed which had, surprisingly, not suffer any damage during the ambush. He smiled softly and placed a soothing hand on her forehead and Katt's eyebrows stopped creasing and she slept like a baby.

Breathing an audible sigh of relief, Ryu turned to Nina and tended to her, who gave him a shaky smile to indicate that she was what her smile had indicated but not injured. He nodded his response and sat down on the floor promptly. "Looks like they've just thrown the gauntlet in our faces. We have two choices: Either fight it out with them in their little makeshift lair or wait here for them to get us and die outnumbered."

"Ever the optimist, eh?" Ray replied as he returned from taking care of the Woren. "I agree with Ryu, but someone has to stay behind to look after Katt. If what Ryu said is true, Perhaps they will only chase after us instead of going after our friends."

"Up to the point of 'friends', Ray, you are right. But those demons could use her as a hostage when Sten gets overwhelmed. I've heard from the bartender about some 'shelters' they have built to house people who were afraid of being attacked in their abodes. Maybe we can place her there and challenge those bastards."

"Very well. The shelter it is." Ray replied and quickly led the way down the tavern, which was by now a sorry sight to see. Tables and chairs were strewn all over the place, most broken and damaged beyond repair. The bartender was nowhere in sight, presumably escaped on sighting the demons or probably dead or kidnapped. Ryu muttered a silent and quick prayer before moving on with his friends. As he opened the door of the tavern, he was greeted by alien voices speaking in a strange language and the sight of demons and those revolting insects which had attacked them earlier. Ryu sighed. It was going to be another long battle ahead of them.

* * *

"What's that smell?" Sten complained as Ray held their pursuers at bay for the time being while Ryu, Nina and Sten decided to explore the sewers, find the missing people and slay the demon behind the whole mess. They were informed by Ray that the insects were called Creons and were extremely dangerous due to the fact that the upper half of their bodies can lengthen to attack their enemies for a second time. There was no certainty that they would get away easily even if they fled from a Creon.

Except that there was nothing in the sewers so far besides a pungent smell and murky waters. Their alert alarms were still set on a high and made sure to watch their backs as well as their companions'.

Coming to a crossroad junction, Ryu gasped at what he saw. There was a gigantic hole in the center of the junction, so large that it could fit in a dragon. He could see that there were many men transporting heavy slabs of concrete while several others sat down to work on the concrete. At least the mystery of the missing men was solved. It was then Nina noticed something weird about these people.

"Their eyes…They are have no pupils. It looks like they're not doing these things of their own will." No sooner had she finished speaking, the men whirled about viciously and picking up whatever tool they could find, charged towards the three of them.

"Darn it, we can't hurt them!" Ryu shouted as he dodged several scything blows to his head, each with murderous intent and determination to take down the unexpected guest.

"We can't, but we can hurt the things on the back of their heads." Came Sten's unusually serious reply. Ryu turned to look at Sten, who held up a smaller version of the Creons with a dagger. Smiling grimly, he proceeded to dispose of more of the critters. Ryu recovered form his small shock and continued to move with a new vigor of plucking the pests off the back of the men's heads.

It did not take long for all three adventurers to finish off the defenseless insects and they paused to catch a breath. One of the men groaned as he tried to stand, holding his head as though it was in pain. "Ooohhh…My head…What a bad dream…"

Ryu rushed forward to help him up. The man, who sported a flashy beard and mustache, wore a simple tunic and pants. The only thing that was different about him was the utility belt he wore around his waist. It was full of tools and gadgets, mostly used for helping him do measurements and build things. "Who are you people? What the hell am I doing in this sorry excuse of a sewer? Whoa…Who created that goddamned hole?" His questions filled the otherwise silent sewers other than the sound of running water.

"Slow down, good man. Tell us what happened before you lost consciousness." Ryu asked, hoping to get some answers from the confused man in front of him.

"Oh, hey. You people are adventurers huh? Judging from your clothing and apparel…Anyway, my friends and I were looking for the some missing people about two weeks ago when we chanced upon this place. There was no hole at all, and all I heard were chittering sounds made by some crazy bug before flying into Lala-Land. Now could you tell me what's going on with this depthless hole?"

"I wish I could, sir, but could you please keep running straight and find the second exit to the left. You will meet a cleric there who can help you-"

"-And who has already left that place." The familiar and warm voice rang out from behind them. Ray Braddock walked towards them, his light blue clerical garb tainted by greenish and reddish splats of blood. He looked slightly tired, but seemed fine otherwise. "Go on, good sir, I've cleared the way. St.Evrai's blessings be with you."

"And they with you too, cleric. Thank you very much. I'll help you in any way I can in the future if the need arises." The man bowed and ran towards the exit. Ryu turned to Ray with a bemused yet apprehensive expression on his face that needed no further explanations of what he wanted to ask.

"Oh, I'm fine, my friend. Got a bit careless and took a few hits to my arms and chests. Nothing my healing magic can't cure."

"Except that you have no Mana left for healing, priest." Sten muttered as Ray looked at him, surprised and with a 'how-do-you-know-about-that-when-you-are-only-a-trickster' look. "What's that supposed to mean? I can cast magic, but my forte lies in detecting magic more than casting it since I've much less mana than the Princess and you. Considering that you can conjure such a powerful barrier to hold up against hundreds of monsters, I'm thoroughly impressed."

Ray recovered and smiled disarmingly. "Thank you, Sten. I suppose my training paid off."

"That's good to hear, but perhaps all of you would be more interested in the immensely overwhelming amount of dark power radiating from the hole. Or at least that's what I can sense now. Let's go in and see what we can find out, my friends." Without another word, Sten jumped into the bottomless darkness of the hole.

"Sten! Are you crazy? Geez…" Ryu shouted as he followed suit. Ray grinned and leapt into the hole eagerly while Nina floated in slowly. The descent was surprisingly short and as Nina came down last, they saw a horde of Devilkids moving concrete and bricks to and fro, which were probably going to be used to build something. But what is that 'something'?

Ryu wasted no time trying to figure out and rushed towards them, stopping before the vast lake of water in the nick of time. He tried to make out whatever was out there in the dark until Nina lighted the place with a spell. "Thanks."

Nothing could mask the surprise on the faces of the four people as they saw a half-completed arch at the centre-most island of a miniature archipelago of isles. The pillars holding it up seemed as ancient as Time itself and the arch dwarfed even the largest giants on earth. The statues, although incomplete, towered over the whole party of adventurers and looked awe-inspiring enough to strike fear and respect in a warrior. The design was unfamiliar to Ryu however. It just seemed so…out of the world.

"What…is that thing?" Nina's voice could barely be heard as it came out a little more than a whisper. There was no answer for her query as the others were equally bewildered and awestruck by the majestic grandeur of the structure before them.

Besides the incomplete building, there are an unusually large number of turtles swimming about in the waters before them. These animals were exceptionally large and Ryu managed to pull his eyes away from the building to identify them as the Itiagos Turtles. Their shells were remarkably flat and enough to hold two people on its back. Named after their founder Andrew Itiagos (1), a renowned explorer in the region, they were supposed to be found near the shores of the Southern region. What was it doing here?

Ray was the first one to snap out of it. "No matter the size or origin of this thing, we must concentrate on our mission at hand and that is to find the demon causing trouble and put an end to it!" He was about to weave a spell to create a bridge across to the structure when the tremors started. "What? What's going on?"

Ryu smiled grimly, drawing his short sword from the scabbard. "I'd say it's found us." He got into an offensive pose as the turtles scattered in all directions. A disemboweled sound which was akin to a roar of ferocity rocked the large underground caverns. Ray, Ryu, Nina and Sten tensed, waiting for the owner of the terrifying sound to appear.

It came through the makeshift entrance under the arch, swimming its way towards the adventurers. Its body was larger than several T.Lizards put together. The shell was flat but the orbs on its back made it such that it was presented as a disfigured oval. On a closer look, these orbs seemed to contain something within them. The four legs were enough to crush a grown man easily, considering the fact that its breadth was the length of a horse. It had a snake-like head, thick and probably hard and its eyes, glowing an unearthly red, stared at the four puny beings before it, like a cat would stare at a trapped mouse. Ryu immediately knew what they had to do unless they wanted to end up like 'trapped giant turtle fodder'.

"Dodge it!" He warned as the four of them split into different directions to avoid the attack from one of its front legs. Summoning some energy in his hands, Ray fired a ray of light at the monstrosity, who seemed to grunt and flick off the effects of the attack. Ray was rewarded with a lightning-quick strike by the turtle's head and only his fine reflexes saved him from being the first course of it.

"Watch out, Nina, Sten! That thing seems to have a strong resistance against spells!" Ryu shouted desperately while dodging. Although he seemed calm on the outside, he was cursing himself for losing his weapon to Darksoul. Considering the fact that the monster had a hard shell, what chance did he have of scratching it, let alone kill it?

Sten was not so lucky. Although he had managed to dodge the turtle's attacks, it seemed that the turtle was incensed at it for some unknown reason and had increased its speed and number of attacks against him. As he retreated from a peck from the turtle, its neck suddenly lengthened and came for an unavoidable second strike. Hitting the Highlander square in his chest, he crashed into the cavern wall and slumped to the ground, his eyes rolled up such that his pupils cannot be seen.

"Sten! Damn you, you bastard!" Ryu felt his anger build up slowly, but it did not have the explosive effect he had experienced before when he got mad. It was as if his anger was waiting for something. Without thinking of the consequences, he struck at the right leg of the creature and it rewarded him with a terrible moan of pain and a sound of breaking metal.

His short sword broke in two upon impact.

Unable to dodge the swing of the turtle's leg, he was thrown by the force towards another cavern wall, only to be caught by Sten, who had apparently came back to life. "Wha-How did you come back alive?" Ryu asked, perplexed that his hairy friend was the one who had rescued him.

He grinned and winked. "That was one of my best skills: Playing dead and when the enemy least expects it, I'll strike them from where I lay. It still hurt that this stupid reptile has the same technique as those Creons from before."

"That's because the Creons came from it." Ray pointed to one of the orbs, which had begun shaking and out burst a Creon, hungry for food. Its hunger was short-lived as Nina dissected it with a Tornado blade spell. The four of them had no time to rest as they began their 'exercise' with the giant reptile, which had started smashing the land away from them.

"At this rate…At this rate we are going to fall into the damned lake and get eaten!" Sten said in a panicky tone, making clear his fear of water and (possibly) turtles. Ryu cursed silently and thought hard. There has to be a way to stop it. Even if it had a hard shell, is practically impervious to magical and physical attacks, and is fast in water, it couldn't be that swift on land, just like a normal turtle. If only they could stop it in the water…

Then, it hit him.

"Nina! Can you freeze the portion of the lake with your Cold spell? Just that portion…"

"I'm sorry Ryu, but I can't. I can't utilize much power in a Cold spell." Nina apologized as she burned another Creon to a crisp. Her spell-casting had become erratic and random. Nina was starting to panic and lose hope.

"Damned! If only…If only I had the power…!" Ryu thought desperately as his friends tried in vain to put even a bruise on the monster. "If only someone could give it to me…!"

"Do you want it?" The voice rang out in his mind. Ryu was momentarily shocked and could have been killed had Nina not drag him up into the air.

"That was dangerous, wasn't it, Ryu?" Nina told him, panting heavily. The Ranger did not hear her as he listened closely to the inner voice speaking to him. It was so warm, so familiar, as though he had heard it from a long time ago. A voice in his past…Who could it be?

"If you want it, you have to sacrifice your consciousness and put yourself in grave danger. Are you willing, child?" The voice spoke, blotting out the ruckus created by the battle. He hesitated, but his instinct told him to trust the voice. After struggling internally, he finally gave in.

"Yes, give me the power to defeat the monster-No," Ryu turned to look at Nina, who was still carrying him and Ray and Sten, both dancing about and avoiding the attacks. "Give me the power to protect everyone I care for. I want that power. Not the power to destroy, but the power to protect!"

He could almost see the invisible speaker smile to him as it rang out, resounding yet soothing to him. "Very well, Ryu Bateson, child of the Dragon, stand before the monstrosity, unarmed and ready to sacrifice yourself. You can even try to battle it with whatever you have left."

He nodded and shrugging out of Nina's tight and surprisingly strong grasp, he leapt in front of the turtle, which promptly rewarded his suicidal effort with a swipe from its left leg. The blue-haired teen smashed into the wall, staining it with blood from a deep gash on his chest and vomited out of his mouth.

"RYU!" Nina screamed as she flew as fast as possible, trying to rescue him before the abomination got to him. She was going to be too late and even Ray and Sten who had sprinted towards their friend's body knew the conclusion of the turtle's attack.

Suddenly, a blue light flashed from Ryu's body and he stood up robotically. The turtle, which had been so intent on destroying the fool that had obstructed its path, hesitated as though it was scared of something. It backed away quickly as Ryu took a step towards it, screeching a howl of undisguised terror.

Then, it happened once again.

Great wings of an unknown ancient creature materialized from Ryu's back and unfurled themselves to their full glory. The wings were of a brilliant whitish-blue and seemed to sparkle and shine even in the darkness. The reptilian wings soon covered Ryu and another light of the same color of the wings enveloped the ranger. As the party opened their eyes, they saw a colossal creature of magnificence, standing majestically like a king in the cavern. Its skin radiated like bluish diamonds. Two rows of silvery razor-sharp jaws lined its mouth while the beast's breath seem to freeze the surroundings of the whole place and its eyes just seemed just as cold as it glared at the cowering monster-turtle. It stood up to its full height and gave an almighty bellow, one so powerful that it was probably enough to strike terror in the hearts of fearless heroes and demons.

"What is that thing?" Sten whispered in awe and fear as he stared at the magnificent creature before him. Despite being known to have traveled to all kinds of places and seen all kinds of phenomenons and strange creatures, they were all nothing compared to the dragon that had somehow burst out from Ryu. Ray seemed equally shocked, but also had an expression which stated his realization of something he had assumed but had not told anyone present yet.

Is that…Ryu? Nina thought, her mind jumbled up with feeling of worry, sadness and confusion. She had vaguely remembered seeing something similar to this when they were in the forest near Winidia. That was probably the thing that had rescued both Katt and her from the dark being that had threatened to take away their souls, although all she could see were red wings and green eyes….

Just like those of the dragon in front of her.

Just like Ryu's.

The turtle roared back in response and somehow the three onlookers did not feel the chill of fear down their backs the turtle had sent earlier on. It seemed so minute compared to the roar of challenge sounded by the whitish-blue dragon. All the dragon did in response was to make a growl in such a way that everyone else thought he/it was laughing mockingly.

The turtle suddenly charged towards it without warning, swimming towards it at a great speed and swiped at it, only to have to fly into the air and use its tail to whip the reptile across its face. It howled in pain and scrambled back for good measure. The turtle then fired most of its orbs at the floating beast, which froze the orbs and the Creons that had came out of it with a derisive snort, the wintry breath coming out of its nose. Without breaking eye contact with the amphibious monster, the dragon let out the breath that it had held within itself, freezing the lake wondrously and the legs of the turtle. Without pausing, the dragon, or Ryu swooped down and sent a beam of ice from its mouth to the neck of the turtle, stopping its thrashing for good.

The battle was over in a few seconds. Grinning triumphantly, like a predator which had trapped its prey, the dragon broke the ice around the neck of the turtle and tore it out. There was not even a scream of pain or horror as the creature went down silently, greenish bile flowing out freely of its wound and it lay there, dying. The orbs on its back instantaneously lost their unearthly purplish glow and faded to black. As Ray, Nina and Sten looked on, the orbs surprisingly began to fall onto the bed of ice and each of them cracked open like eggs, revealing unconscious children to be in them.

"…I see. So the Creons were created from these children. Nina! Sten! We have to carry these children back up before they die of hunger and-" Ray stopped as he suddenly felt the sudden tremors. "What was that?"

A roar of pure delight was heard and expecting the worst, Ray turned to see the dragon demolishing the arch and pulverizing every single Devilkid it could get its claws on. The results of its little 'game' caused the walls and some parts of the cavern's roof to start caving in. Furthermore, the titanic battle between the two behemoths probably caused more than just a crack in the cavern floors. Ray began to feel a small stab of panic. Judging from Nina's condition, she couldn't possibly bring up the survivors by herself and Sten might not even survive despite his seemingly elastic arms. As for himself…Well, he had used up most of his magic and definitely could only use what little he had left to float himself up. How was he going to rescue all of them?

The answer came from where he least expected. The dragon, which had turned to look at the children, roared and scooped all of them in his left claw and grab Ray and Sten unceremoniously in his right. Using his ice breath and tail, it smashed the falling pieces to smaller sizes and giving a grunt to Nina as though telling her to escape as well, it flapped its great wings and crashed out of the hole. Landing loudly on the sewer floor, it let his two male companions, one bemused and one complaining down and smiled at Nina (although the effect of warmth was lost as it looked scarier instead) before the same bright light which appeared earlier shrouded it again and as Nina unshielded her eyes, there stood Ryu Bateson, bruised, battered, dazed and looking worse for wear, but smiling and otherwise looking fine.

"Hey," He said nonchalantly and waved, walking casually towards his friends who had their mouths agape with amazement. "Are you guys hurt badly?"

* * *

"Thank you all so much for rescuing the men and children of our town! We will never forget this great act of valor and we are prepared to repay this debt anytime you wish us to." The mayor bowed to the five adventurers, the males mostly so wrapped up in bandages that few would not mistake them for mummies-to-be. They bowed back as a sign of courtesy rather than accepting the offer of repaying them.

"There's no need to pay us for what we did, sir. Anyone who has the power to banish those demons would have done the same thing." Katt smiled as she replied with impeccable graciousness. It amazed Ryu and even Ray that the street fighter would actually know how to reply so politely and seriously, although they had kept their thoughts where they belong lest they wanted a date with "The Deadly Bow Staff".

Ryu suddenly thought of Niro's house and interrupted the conversation. "Erm…Actually, we do need a little bit of help. A friend of mine lives in a house that is in complete disrepair and I fear for the safety of my two other friends repairing it," He laughed nervously at the thought of having an entire roof collapsing on Rand and Bow. "So I thought maybe you might be able to spare us a carpenter or two to help rebuild his home."

"But of course, Mr. Bateson! It would be a pleasure. Rather than one, I will send three of the best carpenters and architects to build your friend a new and wonderful home, free of charge!" The mayor gave a chubby grin, his roly-poly figure giving him a look of a fatherly figure somehow. Calling two other men, one of them the person they had saved earlier and another they did not recognize, the mayor himself followed the party, much to the surprise of the adventurers. "What? Don't belittle me now, my friends. This is a city of carpenters and designers after all, and I'm not mayor just because of the elections." The mayor smiled. Nina giggled and nodded her agreement enthusiastically.

"Hey kid! Have you forgotten all about me, huh?" A familiar drawl sounded. Ryu almost jumped and immediately began looking around. That voice…Only that old coot would try to scare him like that. Spotting a suspicious-looking statue covered with vines, Ryu sprinted towards it, cleared the vines and glared at the stupid grinning face of Ladon.

"What the hell? What are you doing here?"

"Hey hey hey! That ain't the way to greet your god, least of all your elder ya know." The visage "tsked" and shook his finger at him while the other members of the party looked on in wonder and amusement. "Where's your manners, kid? Who are those two lovely ladies behind you?"

Ray raised an eyebrow. If such a respected ancient god acted like this, he then what of St.Evrai? Still, this god was an amusing one to say the least.

"Geez, now you're sounding like some old geezer with a penchant for younger girls. Spit it out, man. What exactly do you want?"

The image had the grace to look offended by the statement. "Why, I'm trying to help you, little Ryu. How would knowing your friends do any harm to them, hmm?" The god blinked so innocently that Ryu was certain this god had been a prankster or a cheat in his previous life. "Now, do you want my help or not?"

The teenager sighed, indicating that he would listen to what the Dragon God had to offer. The visage gave them a reptilian smile and continued: "You see, Ryu, because you've restored another one of my statues in this world, you've unlocked the power to be able to teleport to one specific destination of where my statue lies, and that is in Hometown. There is another statue just next to Niro's house, but it seems that he doesn't care for gods and the like." The deity frowned but kept on talking. "This power allows no more than twelve people to teleport to and fro, since I'm unable to utilize more power in one statue. Remember: No more than twelve and no, you don't have to tell me the names of Katt Chuan, Nina Eraine Wyndia, Ray Braddock and Sten Legacy. I already know all of them." With an imperious wave of his claw, the countenance began to fade. "Keep safe, adventurers!"

Ryu sighed as the last of the animated façade faded away, leaving a contrasting stony expression on the statue. At least he had found a way to teleport all of them without wasting time. That was the least he expected from the god.

Hometown…It has been quite a while since he had last seen it, hasn't he? Maybe once they returned, they could take a break from all that fighting and traveling. Bow…It will be good to see him again, Ryu mused. He stretched his arms and suddenly feeling a jolt of pain, groaned loudly.

"What's the matter, Ryu? Oh, its your injuries." Sten said and couldn't resist poking fun at him. "Geez, and who was the one who tried to act cool and say "Are you guys hurt badly?" You immediately fainted right after walking two steps!"

"S-Shut up, Sten! I was just concerned for all of you, sheesh! Talk about ingratitude…" He muttered something incoherently while Katt laughed heartily and Nina giggled at the twisted description of Ryu.

"Are you ready, guys?" Ray asked. The rest of the group nodded. No sooner had he spoken, a bright yellow beam engulfed them and they vanished, leaving that trail of pure laughter and joy behind for quite a while.

* * *

Phew! Finished finally! Sorry I took so long, but I thought a long vacation from the computer would be in order. Hope you people like it and please review! Gladly accept all comments and suggestions to improve. Try not to flame please. R&R!

(1) Andrew Itiagos will appear later in the story as another character who helps them. Stay tuned!


	12. Chapter 7: A fairytale Prince

Hi to all readers! For those of you who have read all those unworthy chapters before, sorry about the mistake of making Nina's eyes blue. I've checked some pictures and found out they were green! XX Do please correct me if I'm wrong on this and I'll continue with green first until someone rectifies my mistake. Thanks!

To the reviewers of my last chapter:

Jazzem: Sorry about that. Maybe I need to pay for that shock I gave you or something. Haha just kidding. Guess there are some ideas that just won't go away in my head so I wrote that part of the detail down in Ryu's POV (sort of). Hope you continue to read my silly fic and thanks for your compliments! (though I don't really deserve it.)

Dragon Man 180: Thanks for the review. Glad to know that my five months' absence is being missed a little by some people. To answer your question, Katt was injured. She was slashed across the abdomen by a Creon and had to rest in the shelters, thus ruling her out of the fight. Thanks again and be sure to question anything that is confusing to you. I'll be glad to answer them

Tsuki Yume/Bluedove: Thanks for the correction! I'll try to watch my grammar and wording more carefully in the future! I'm not too sure what he can be called though…Perhaps you can enlighten me on this? Thanks!

Now, on with the story!

**Disclaimer: I know business's bad, but please don't sue a poor student who doesn't own Capcom or Breath of Fire…**

Breath of Fire 2: Chapter 7-A fairytale Prince, his unlikely lover and the Berserker again

"No, no, leave it there, Miss! Don't touch that!" Bow yelped in despair as the Woren eyed the expensive-looking vase curiously and poked at it obtrusively. "I know you just recovered from the effects of your wound, but that doesn't mean you can start touching things that don't belong to you...Whoa!" The antique landed on the outstretched arms of Ryu, who managed to save it in the nick of time as the last poke sent it over the table. Bow heaved a sigh of relief while Katt apologized profusely to Ryu.

"You have to learn to stop being so hyperactive, little kitten." Ryu grinned and he was replied with a playful smack on the back of his head. Putting on a thoughtful pose, he mused out loud: "Considering the fact that your help was redundant in building things, I'll let it slide."

"Shut it, Ranger. I'll let your head roll if you make another wisecrack." Katt threatened menacingly with her staff. Ryu backed off, much to the mirth of the audience of their little show.

"You are all in a light-hearted mood, I see," Ray stepped into Ryu's rented apartment, his smile present on his face. There was something strange about his behaviour, something Ryu just could not put his finger on ever since the battle with the monster-turtle. Ray had become more serious and brooding compared to what he was before. There was a strange glint in his eyes whenever he spoke with him and the Ranger half-suspected that his newfound powers were the cause of this. Despite that, Ray never hesitated in talking with everyone and his mood was cheerful enough, unless he was alone.

"Well, I think we all feel much better resting in a comfy place rather than running like chickens in a dark underground cavern, fighting a stupid reptile." Ryu grinned painfully at the memory. The four bruised ribs and his various cuts and gashes were still a little sore and he almost wished that he was permanently staying in his house. "Not only that, I heard the repairs for Niro's house has been completed by the mayor, Mark and Tim. They are pretty amazing, considering that they only needed one week to rebuild and even upgrade the house."

"That aside, buddy, I really hope you can find the thief soon, even if I sound selfish..." Bow lowered his head, ears drooping slightly. He hated being cooped up in a dilapidated house with an old man who would not stop rambling, even if a friendly giant armadillo was there. "And to think I was a Ranger before all these happened..."

"Geez, dog, stop with the tears already." Bow looked up to see the green-eyed Woren looking at him in a disapproving manner with her hands on her hips. "Just trust Ryu, alright? When has he ever proved himself to be untrustworthy? Guys like you, crying...You should be ashamed of yourself! Sheesh..."

Bow was shocked. No one had ever talked to him like this before, not even his closest friends and here was this particular Woren who had just reprimanded him like she was his mother or something. Feeling a strange anger in his chest, Bow just scowled at her and sat down, his cloak and disguise forgotten. He had worn those to avoid detection by the guards at the gates of Hometown upon hearing that Ryu had come back, only to be disappointed that the thief had given them the slip yet again.

"Cool it, Katt. Bow, you too. Don't fight among ourselves now; that's the worst thing to happen, especially when we're not completely safe from danger. There is no telling when we might be attacked, even if this is Hometown." Ryu stated seriously. Damn it...If only he knew of their intentions and what they wanted with him and his friends...He began thinking of possibilities of why the demons might want to have anything to do with them, but just could not come up with a plausible answer.

The Woren and Grass Runner thankfully remained silent and Sten, knowing better than to try to be clever, also clammed up. Ryu sighed. Suddenly the silence seemed so alien to him ever since Sten had joined the party. He was about to get up and tell the rest to meet at Niro's house when-

"Ryu? There's a...girl waiting for you downstairs, dear. Said she wanted to meet you no matter what." Mrs. Pullman's muffled voice came from behind the door. Usually, Ryu would associate 'boring' with middle-aged Ellen Pullman, his landlady, but the news caused his interest to perk. Who could it be?

Before he could ponder further, the door opened without warning and a girl stood in the doorway. She wore skimpy clothing which left little to the imagination, showing off her figure, legs and cleavage and her hair was the fiery red color her clothes were. In fact, everything about the girl was red except for her skin. She smiled at Ryu charmingly who smiled back and said nothing, waiting for the girl to speak of the purpose of her visit.

"Ryu Bateson," Her voice, though youthful, oozed the sex appeal she had shown. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Sanamo and Gran needs your help desperately."

"Gran? I might be able to help, but who's Gran?" The blue-haired teen could not keep the confusion out of his voice. Before he could ask any further, the girl chanted and Ryu suddenly felt nauseous. His familiar surroundings faded and all he saw were bright colors around him, ever-changing. He felt as though he was doing several thousand back-flips in the span of a few seconds and closed his eyes in an attempt to shut out the excruciating pain. Abruptly, he felt his feet land on something solid and the pain began to fade away, as did the colors. Ryu opened his eyes and was surprised to find himself in a small hut of some kind. The walls were full of remarkable drawings and diagrams, most of which he could not figure out. He did notice a small stone idol sitting on a table that was familiar to him.

"Sinsilharia? Goddess of shamans? So you people are shamans..." Ryu spoke, his voice wobbly. He still could not shake off the effects of the Portal spell.

"I'm sorry. I just can't master the spell well, but Gran sensed your power somehow and wanted your help." Sanamo bowed and apologized. For all that 'sex appeal', this girl's innocence just makes her more attractive to men, he thought amusingly.

"Never mind that, Sana. At least the young man is here." Ryu turned and met the owner of the voice. She was an elderly woman ailing with age, the long and ragged white hair evidence of his assumption. She was shorter than Sana by at least two feet and held a staff, intricately carved with foreign writings of some sort. What surprised Ryu was that this woman was walking with an authority no one can ignore. That is, if they can see her first.

"Sana is a fire shaman, boy, and since you are the strongest one I can sense now, I would request your aid in helping me complete the sacred shamanic 'Union' with Sana.

"U-Union? What the heck? I'm too young! What in world are you talking about? Where is this place?" Ryu shouted out of confusion. The old woman chose to ignore his first statement and remained silent. Exasperated yet curious, Ryu nodded his agreement and stood on the part of the floor with a shamanic symbol. Sana stood on the other and the elder shaman began to chant. Ryu felt the hairs on the back of his arms rise as shamanic magic filled the air, surrounding and covering everything in the room. He could feel a presence, warm and delicate but stranger to him trying to merge with him and become one with his spirit.

That was when it happened.

Ryu felt another entity within his body struggling to burst out and it did, repelling the alien spirit back to where it belonged. Unable to hold the entity in, it burst out and seemed to cover Ryu, who strangely felt uncomfortable but painless. Taking this as a sign that the 'Union' had failed, Ryu opened his eyes...

And felt as though the whole world was shaking. He fell to his feet as the assimilation of the entity was complete and a burst of energy, both whitish-blue and red came out of his body, striking the room in different directions like the swords of the skies. Everything that was struck was burned to a crisp and the house caught fire rapidly.

"By Sinsilharia, what have I awaken?" The witch-woman whispered in horror. Ryu could barely hear it as he watched both shamans scramble out of the house helter-skelter before it collapsed on them. Ryu ran after them, and to find a sharp pain on his skull and darkness overcoming him...

* * *

"Gran, what should we do? What if he's dead? What if someone notices? What if-"

"Child, I beseech you to calm your nerves. Such a being of raw power will not die just like this and yes, someone will notice." The elderly shaman gave a sigh. "Looks like we will have to move before he wakes up..."

As she finished her sentence, the remnants of their house shattered with an explosion. The shamanic duo backed away in fear as a man, covered in soot and dust from head to toe stood up amongst the charred rubble.

He was laughing.

It wasn't the maniacal laugh or a malicious one which the old woman had expected. It was melodious, so full of cheer that it seemed almost impossible to find any wickedness in the person before her. He walked slowly to them and grinned before saying: "Let's get away from this place before someone decides to investigate. I'll find another home for you somehow. How does that sound?"

She was speechless. Here was a person whom she had almost killed and instead of lashing out at them, he chose to help them instead! Nodding her agreement mutely at his suggestion, the three of them made the way down the mountain path while the sun hung high up in the sky.

* * *

"So, you are telling me you get kidnapped by some girl-"

"Not kidnapped, Katt. Just pulled along to help."

"-unleashed some power within yourself through this 'Union' thingy-"

"I was surprised to say the least."

"Blew up a house and almost died? And yet you want to help these two? Did the falling beam knock your head a little too hard?" Katt finished as she looked at the pair of shamans sitting at the new table Niro had ordered from the Capitan carpenters, sending them one of her trademark death glares.

"I think we have to help them. A 'Union' seems to require more shamans than just one and they are now homeless, you wouldn't have the heart to turn them away, would you?"

Katt turned back and glared at her victim who winced visibly. "I think you should see a doctor about the bump on your head. Are you nuts? What if their 'Union' crap fails again? Last time it was only a house and a small patch of forest on Mount Dorgin. The next time it could turn into a great fire of houses if we let them do their stuff in Niro's house!" With each sentence, the Woren got more agitated and waved her arms about in an exaggerated manner.

"...Alright, I'm sorry. I'll ask the mayor for help. Maybe they can build a smaller house that is impervious to fire and explosions." Ryu stood up and tried to calm her down. Katt pouted and turned away from him. "Hey, I'm really sorry, alright? I'll go ask for help." His tone always had a calming effect when he spoke more softly to people and it worked with the hard-headed Woren somehow, who snorted her approval and walked away. He turned to the two shamans and apologized for his friend's behavior and turned to find Rand at the doorway, grinning from ear to ear.

"That sounded like a husband and wife fight, if you ask me. The little kitty never gives in so quickly you know." The armadillo laughed heartily but froze when he saw Katt's tail stiffen like ice from behind another entrance.

"Oops." Was all he could manage to say before a blushing Katt rushed out of the room and tried to murder Rand with her bow staff. Ryu sighed. One way or another, something crazy **always** happens with Katt around.

'But...'he thought playfully as he watched Katt chase the big armadillo around, 'she sure is fun to have around...'

He smiled and left the thought at that. That was when Ray interrupted him.

"Ryu, my friend. I'm sad to say this but its time for me to leave."

"Leave? For where?"

"St.Evrai requires my services more urgently somewhere else, namely the western regions. It seems that they have the intention to strengthen the blessings of St.Evrai upon me and give me the rank of a Paladin. Furthermore, the sightings of demons have increased tremendously there. I'm required to leave for that region as soon as possible and I wish to teach the Rejuvenation spell to one of your friends."

"Ahh...Why not? Let me think..." He looked about, silently contemplating his choices. Then his eyes finally landed on the raven-winged girl writing something. "Hey Nina! Could you come over for a moment?"

The Winidian mage straightened up and walked towards them, curiosity written all over her face. "What is it?"

"Do you think you could learn the Rejuvenation spell? Sorry about calling you over without any warning but...I thought you could use it better than anyone else here right now."

"I don't know...healing magic was never my forte. Always flunked those tests Master Yoji gave me..." Looking at the slightly disappointed look on Ryu's face, her hesitant tone quickly changed. "But I could give it a try I guess..."

"Then it's settled." Ray replied shortly and staring deep into Nina's emerald orbs, his own eyes glowed a bright yellow. Soon after, he tear his gaze away as the light ended, with the sorceress slightly blushing and feeling a little dizzy over the intense gaze and transfer of knowledge. "Alright, that's done Ryu, Nina. I take my leave." With a friendly wave, he chanted a spell and teleported out of the place while Ryu and Nina looked on.

* * *

"You would think this region should have some sort of difference from the last one, but all we see are the same things. Same type of trees, same grass, same sky..."

"I get your point already Katt. I know the journey to SimaFort is boring, but that was what the last traveler we asked suggested we go to." Ryu drawled lazily. The traveling party consisting of Ryu, Nina, Katt, Rand and Sten had taken a boat to the western region and were heading to SimaFort, the capital city of the Creeping Clan. The people of the Creeping Clan were more commonly called as the Frog Clan, as the meaning of its original name had faded in the mists of time. Truth to be said, the entire race looked, ate and acted like frogs, thus earning them their new race name. The Hoppa de Tapeta family, which ruled the Clan currently, built its reputation on the pride of being law enforcers who deal with criminals as they deem fit and Ryu had high hopes of finding the real crook there, caught and ready to be dealt with. He continued walking and somehow, he felt extremely uneasy, as though something, or someone evil is about to make its appearance. Watching his Dragon Tear flash an evil black color, Ryu tensed and prepared himself for combat.

"Relax, my good man. It's only me, Andaroy Darksoul, at your service." The man appeared out of the shadows like an unsolicited phantom of darkness. Wearing a cheerful smile and an all-black outfit completed with a dark red cloak, he stopped in front of the party.

"You! You're going to pay for that-that thing you did, bastard!" Katt's bow staff was swung with all her might, but Andaroy merely smiled wider and grabbed her weapon with his left hand, effortlessly halting its attack. The shock on her face registered just as much on her friends.

"You know, little kitty, I would prefer a peck on the cheek as a payment for my little kiss." Andaroy winked and waved his right hand, simultaneously letting go of his left. An invisible hand seemed to hit the Woren and she had to settle for a clumsy landing on the land bare with grass. He laughed, a sound which seemed to tinkle in the air, a musical vibe which would have been the most beautiful sound to the adventurers had it not been from the man before them. He turned to stare at Ryu, who had calmly drawn his sword instead of charging like a madman the last time they had met. "Now that's a change, Brood-ling. A child of the Ashkael-Krohn not attacking one of his most hated enemies? I thought you were strong enough to resist all those notions about controlling your emotions and powers."

Ryu hated that smirk. He hated the arrogance in this adversary and hated that he was powerless to destroy him. But most of all, he hated not knowing what he was talking about. "Ashkael-Krohn? Brood-ling? What are you talking about, Darksoul?"

Andaroy smirked again, this time victoriously. Oh, how he hated that blasted egotism! But what could he do? The last time they had met, Ryu had already used his most powerful technique in his Fukyuu no Ten'un-Ashkael Swordplay, but all he could do was manage to confirm the death of his ten-year long companion. He felt rage trying to overcome his logic like the ancient entity in his body trying to assimilate him but he managed to hold it back enough to speak to ask him once again. "Darksoul, tell me what I don't know and I'll fight a duel to the death with you. That's what you want, isn't it?" Looking at the unfailing smirk faltering, Ryu silently cheered. So his enemy had a grudge against him after all. "Speak, Andaroy Darksoul. At least I'll die a contented man while you have the pleasure of killing me."

To his utter dismay, the warrior simply laughed and tossed his head imprudently, letting the sudden gust blow at his perfectly silky blonde locks. His laughing fit continued for an impossibly long time until Ryu finally thought he had become even more insane and insidious, if that was even possible.

Eyes flashing, Andaroy turned to look at the Ranger. "Fool! Do you think I'll fall for such a childish trick?" There was a finally an allusion of anger in his eyes and although it was well-hidden, Ryu mentally patted himself on the back. He had most probably hit a sensitive spot, although he did not know what it is.

His victorious joy was short-lived as the wisp of fury disappeared like a burning torch placed in water. "For now, Ryu Bateson, all I can say is that Ashkael-Krohn has made the same mistake he made five centuries ago. That old fool who had destroyed your half-ancestors by his own hand will soon realise that the bloody legacy lives on in you. You cannot escape your fate, Brood-ling!" With another laugh, hauntingly melodious yet chilling, the lavishly dressed man faded like a ghost into the night.

Katt, who had recovered from the force that had repelled her stood up and swore loudly in her native language. The confusion on the face of hers and her companions was not lost on Ryu, however, as he thought darkly about the purposes of this 'Ashkael-Krohn'. He gave up after futile attempts to try and link anything familiar with that name and smiled. 'At least I was able to get some information. The question is, now that I know I'm involved in one way or another with the disturbing appearances of demons, what am I going to do now?'

He mentally slapped himself. Now was not the time to worry everyone else. Now was the time to do whatever he needed to do. Instead of cracking his head over the past and the future, why not concentrate on the present?

Satisfied with his own answer, he turned and smiled at his friends. "Let's go guys. Let's make our way to SimaFort."

"But Ryu, What about Ashkael-Krohn? Aren't you the least bit worried and curious about it?" The look of Nina's face was sofull og concernthat Ryu almost gave in to the temptation to start thinking about what his new nemesis had told them. He shelved them into a hidden closet of his mind quickly.

"Don't worry, Nina," Then he turned to the rest "Katt, Rand and Sten. There's nothing to worry about. Right now all we have to do is capture this thief and help to clear Bow's name. Isn't that the most logical thing to do now? So all we need to do is to concentrate on getting to SimaFort, find the thief and complete our task at hand!" Ryu raised a clenched fist as though to emphasize on his little speech. "So why not just forget about all that and concentrate on the present?" Looking at the surprised facades of his friends, Ryu faltered. Did he say something weird or awkward?

Katt was the first one to answer his question: "Yeah! Let's do it, guys! I want to forget about that stupid jerk anyway. Gives off all those bad vibes. Creepy!"

_Probably not, _an amused voice answered in the back of his head as Ryu laughed with the rest of his companions. That laughter did not last long, as they feel the earth shaking slightly at different intervals. The next thing they knew, A green object, or rather creature stood in front of them, towering over all as his crimson orbs turned to look at them. "_Bonjour, _adventurers. Is it possible that you can help me out of my predicament?"

At that time, Ryu and his companions could only think of one thing to say.

"AHHHHH!"

* * *

"What? Jean Hoppa de Tapeta? You are the prince of SimaFort?" Sten's incredulity could not be veiled as the party found themselves on the giant frog, hopping towards the notorious Nimufu Tower. "Yeah right, and I'm the future King of HighFort…"

Rand poked Sten in the stomach, who gave a reasonable yelp of pain for being poked by such a large finger. "You shouldn't doubt his words, Sten. From what I heard, only the rarest few of the Frog Clan people retain the powers of their ancestors and the Crown Prince of SimaFort is officially named as one of them."

"Fine, fine! Geez...And now we have to help his Highness reverse some stupid curse that puts you in this state permanently?"

"Yes, Monsieur Sten. I'm unable to revert to my normal self without the cure." The huge frog replied in a deep rumbling tone that suggested more friendliness belying the frightening size and voice of their current mode of transport.

"But we don't have time for this! We need to get to SimaFort to find a goddamned thief and bring her back to Hometown so Bow doesn't need to hide in the shadows anymore!" Katt protested. Although she wasn't exactly 'friends' with Bow Doggie, she thought that Ryu should be more concerned with more 'pressing matters' instead of helping an oversized amphibian regain his form, which is literally just a less oversized amphibian.

"Yeah, but haven't you thought about the fact that helping him to change back would actually be a good thing, Katt?" The soft and melodious voice of a certain Winidian princess floated across to the Woren, who turned and gave her a puzzled look. "If you think closely, Monsieur Hoppa de Tapeta is a prince. If we help him lift his curse, wouldn't the King be grateful and in turn help us find the real thief?"

"That's right, Katt. That was exactly what I had in mind. Furthermore, it wouldn't hurt to explore this region a little before heading to SimaFort. By the way, thanks Nina." Ryu cheerfully said and the black-winged girl answered with a sweet smile. Katt, who was looking on all the time, felt a slight tugging at her heart. 'Geez...Why is it that everyone can explain this kind of stuff so well? And why am I feeling so hurt about anyway?'

Her thoughts were interrupted by Sten, who nudged her slightly to indicate that they had reached the witch's tower. Katt had developed a grudging respect for the Highland warrior ever since his awesome display of skills and magic. She had let him call her by her name instead of the embarrassing title of 'Mistress', but perhaps Sten was still a little wary of her bow staff. That would explain that cautious yet humorous look on his face when he had prodded her slightly. "If you would stop day-dreaming, Miss Meow, we are here."

Or maybe he was no long wary after all.

Katt mock-glared at Sten and laughed when he stumbled back at the sight of her raising her staff. Rand shook his head in exasperation and followed the Ranger and princess into the tower.

"_Merci,_ I will wait here for the good news, my friends." The frog croaked and Ryu gave him a thumbs-up before heading into the tower. As he pushed the doors open, a blurry shape hurtled towards him and sensing danger, Ryu drew his sword in a sweeping arc, beating back whatever had tried to get too friendly with him.

The creature was a strange one. It had only one eye, much like the legendary Cyclopes found in the eastern regions. It had the same number of horns on its head and its skin was a sickly green. Although it was shorter than Ryu, the stockier build more than made up for its disadvantage in height. The sharp fangs, covered with dribble also seemed to prove the point that they were not to be taken lightly.

"Green Ogres." The booming voice belonging to a giant armadillo sounded. He cracked his knuckles He stared down at them as though a human would stare at a cockroach repulsively. "Leave 'em to me, my friends." Go ahead and find out where that witch is holed up in." Without waiting for a reply, he charged at the twelve green-skinned monsters, fists waving.

"Let's go!" Ryu shouted over the battle cries of his large friend and his opponents. As the layout of the tower's ground floor was unsophisticated, he was able to find the flight of stairs leading up to their objectives and wasted no time in climbing it.

Several men appeared, wielding weapons of all sorts, blocking the stairway with the intention of stopping the Ranger's advancement by presence or by force. Judging from their zombie-like state and the way they were brandishing their weapons, Ryu safely concluded that they were mind-controlled in some way or another. 'I have to end this quickly.' Ryu thought as he dodged a sickle aiming to take his head home as a trophy. Drawing his dirk from its sheath strapped at his right calf, the warrior used the fastest technique he had learned.

Nina was puzzled, but not as horrified. Why did Ryu stop? The weapons were all descending upon him quickly, determined to slice him down to Hell and yet he was not moving. A few thousand alarms seemed to ring in her head and she reacted, the indescribable horror of having her friend taken down in such a place engraving itself into her mind. Just before she could summon a spell, the winged sorceress saw a streak of blue, red and white zooming past the men. The next thing she saw were the men laying on each step while the very person of her thoughts was still heading up. Judging from the faint grunts and the sound of metal against human skin, Nina was not as sure as to whether to help or stop him massacring these people. As she watched Katt and Sten run up after him, Nina snapped out of her thoughts and flew up.

'Is it the Berserker that has taken over him?' That thought was nagging her mind, a terrifying concept that her friend might not be able to recognize the innocent from the guilty or friend from foe. Anxiety prompted her to increase her speed and she nearly hit her head on the ceiling at the fifth and top floor. Hearing a familiar voice chuckle at her inelegant movement, relief overtook all her other feelings except for that slight bit of anger and she could not resist pouting at her blue-headed friend.

"What are you laughing at?"

"What else can I be laughing at?" The mischievous glint in his eyes did not go unseen and Nina just raised her eyebrows, setting off his little laughing fit again.

'Okkayy, this time I'm really getting infuriated.' Nina thought angrily. There she was worrying about Ryu and all he did was laugh at her? How dare he...

Looking at the frown on her pretty face, Ryu finally stopped and opted for a safer smile instead. "Sorry. I didn't mean to rush off like that, but I thought time was of the essence so I just used the Shippou Kaze no Awai technique."

"And...?"

Ryu was confounded this time. "And what?"

"Aren't you supposed to apologize for something else?" the princess crossed her arms, the frown still visible on her features.

"Huh?"

"...Never mind." Nina bristled. What was wrong with her? Usually she doesn't get all that upset over something so trivial. Although it was rare for her to have such...unsightly moments, she usually laughs it off embarrassingly with her Magic School friends and tossed such matters into the shadier corners of her memory.

So why was she angry in the first place that Ryu, whether he was truly clueless or not, did not act contrite at all?

The luxury of time for contemplating such thoughts was lost for her as Ryu turned and kicked down the door which led to the room of Nimufu the Witch. His friends followed him through without a word, though a certain black-winged girl still had that unwavering pout on.

The room was huge, to say the least. Furnished with luxurious furniture and bright purple satin on the walls, pillars and beams, there was also a delicious aromatic scent that enticed the noses of Ryu and Sten, seeming to cloud their senses. Their faces took on a dreamy look and both of them walked like a puppet towards a large bed covered with purple and red silk. A bed fit for a queen.

The two males of the group walked as though they were in a trance. Well, technically they were, considering the fact that Nina felt her feathers ruffle a bit at the use of powerful mind-control magic being emanated throughout the entire room. Realisation dawned on her and she fired at the lavish bed with a bolt of lightning...

...Only to have it repelled and have an additional high-pitched laugh thrown back at her. She dodged nimbly, barely avoiding her own electrical assault and turned to face the person responsible for the failure of her Thunder spell.

The woman lying on the bed with her head propped up on a pillow stared lazily at her. She had velvety shoulder-length purple hair which seemed to shimmer even without the slightest ray of light. Her eyelids were lined heavily with mascara and the cheeks powdered with an impossible amount of blush showed that she was no amateur in the department of dolling herself up. Stretching lazily, she smiled cattily at the two girls as Ryu and Sten marched robotically towards her.

"Thank you, girls for bringing me such wonderful...catches. I suppose I could congratulate both of you for getting past all my overly-friendly slaves. Now...would you like a quick trip to the bottom of the tower or would you like to have a little match with me, hmm?"

"I suppose you are Nimufu," Katt began slowly. She had gotten a bit livid by the fact that this woman actually used and controlled men so that they can do her dirty work. Without waiting for any indication of an answer to her rhetorical question, she charged towards the lilac-haired girl...

...And smacked into an invisible wall promptly. She hissed and swung wildly at the wall in a series of complex moves. The speed and force of her attacks were so great such that there was a brief look of anxiety on the witch's face. The barrage ended soon enough, but the barrier unwaveringly stood.

"My dears, perhaps you could be a little more serious about attacking me. I can hardly see a dent in my magic." The witch laughed. Katt and Nina winced visibly. Although they had not tried everything within their power to shatter the protective shield around the bed and their friends, they knew that destroying it would require far more power than they had at the moment.

"Oww..." Ryu rubbed his head. He felt as though something blunt had hit his head really hard as the drowsiness had not subsided yet. He stood up and steadying himself, decided to survey his surroundings.

The place was breathtakingly beautiful and mystifying. Flowers seemed to cover most of the grassy land he was standing on and the grass was perfectly trimmed such that it seemed a perfect substitute for the comfortable mattresses of a bed. A water fountain, shaped like a female winged angel, stood above everything else, the slight splashing of water serving only to add to the mystery and etherealness of the place. Fragrances of flowers seem to flood Ryu's senses as he stumbled onto an artfully laid marble pavement.

"Where is this? Am I in Heaven or something? The last thing I remembered was entering Nimufu's room with them..."

A laugh, oddly familiar and enchanting sound made its way into Ryu's ears, who turned and saw the divine visage he had seen earlier when he had defeated Rakros.

"Goddess Tyr! But how...Why...What am I doing here?"

"This is only but a dream, child." The goddess replied with an ever benevolent smile. This time, she was dressed in an ankle-length one-piece dress, made of the purest blue satin. It shimmered like the sea when the rays of the Sun shine upon it as she walked towards the confounded Ranger. "I sense that your head is boggled by concepts and thoughts alien to you. I only have time for a few questions, before I disappear again, Brood-ling."

There it was again! Yet another unfamiliar term that he had been called by! However, he decided to wait on that this time round. Wondering why an ageless goddess like her not having enough time and seeing the sad look on her face, Ryu quickly came to a decision.

"What was that about the Evolution you informed me about in my first encounter with you?"

The smile faded. Was it his imagination, or had the sky darkened just a little bit?

"Though I do not wish to tell you as much, but the time will come when you have to learn about this anyway." She paused, an unseen pain visible in her eyes. "Evolution is the stage of when your powers have matured enough to set off a transformation."

"Transformation?"

"The ability to turn into the most feared creatures during ancient times. In your Clan-The Dragon Clan, there were some who could transform into huge dragons of power at will. Your first transformation took place in the Winidia Forest while your second was against the Terrapin monster in the deeper caverns of Capitan."

Ryu nodded. At least he understood why he had blacked out twice without knowing what happened. "How about my lineage?"

"Don't you alreadyknow that you are a Dragon Clan member?"

"No, goddess. My ties with the Berserker Dragon Clan-" Eh stopped abruptly as the features on Tyr contorted and twisted into one of fear and loathing, as though she was recalling something revolting. "Is there something wrong, Goddess Tyr? Why is it that you fear them so much?" Narrowing his eyes as he recalled seeing the same reaction from Ladon, he continued: "Why is it that even you gods pale upon hearing the name of Berserkers?"

The immortal turned only so much for him to see her pained smile. "That is not for me to answer, child of the Brood. They are a powerful faction of the Dragon Clan, though I know only what I've said. Perhaps Ladon will be charitable enough to provide you with more explanations. My half must no longer interfere in the affairs of dragons or humans."

"Your half? What half is there? Tyr! Answer me!" Ryu shouted. The flowers, which had seemed so vibrant, were now wilting their lives away. The marble path was slowly corrupted by the color of the night and Tyr no longer look like the youthful beauty she was. Despite the appalling changes occurring around her, the goddess smiled and shook her head sadly as a reply to the Ranger's questions.

"Before I go, Ryu, I can tell you that your consciousness is not lost. Another separate entity has taken over your body temporarily and if you concentrate hard enough, you will be able to regain control."

"Heh...Is that one of the bonus effects of an Evolution?"

The goddess gave no answer, only the desolate upward curve on her mouth. "I'm sorry." With that confusing statement, she left, taking her crumbling garden with her and leaving Ryu in darkness once more. Although he was confused by the abrupt apology, Ryu decided to do as the goddess had suggested, although he did not really know the meaning of the word 'concentration'. Did it mean trying to think hard about getting his body back? No, definitely not. He had tried that already several times and the last attempt knocked his spirit out cold.

Then what did she mean?

'Maybe it should be the other way round...' Instead of concentrating on wanting to regain control, Ryu tried to recall the time when he had went berserk on Kendrick Stormwind in Winidia. He remembered not knowing anything and not being distracted by anything other than the thirst for battle. That was the time when he probably seemed like another person. Although he could remember the vague details of the battle itself, the fact that his mind was devoid of all thought was clear. Maybe if he could just do that...

* * *

"Nina, can you try that trick against Bob again? It just might work."

The slightly panting sorceress shook her head in disapproval and was on the move once more as the witch began to fire numerous beams of purple fire at the duo. "The witch doesn't have that much power to erect such a powerful barrier. There must be something that is aiding her and fuelling her power. Katt, can you try to distract her for a while? I need to gather my senses to feel the medium of magic."

"I'll try!" The Woren steeled herself and began her barrage of attacks on the barrier again. Another beam of fire zipped past Katt, slightly singing her fur and she was off, dodging again and again. 'Damned! All I can manage now is avoiding those dastardly magic missiles. Hurry, Nina!'

"Heh! Do you girls think I'm blind and deaf? I can hear everything clearly from where I stand. First, I'll just take down the little black bird over there..." She licked her lips and sent an intense round of firing at the searching sorceress. She cried out in pain as a bolt hit her on her right wing and she fell to the ground. The shrill laugh of triumph and the smell of smoke was enough to tell Katt that Nina's plan had failed miserably. For the first time, she felt panic. Here was an opponent who cannot be touched by magic or weapon and all she could do was jump about like a monkey, trying to avoid getting any smoking patches on her body.

Just as she was able to lose hope, she heard a shriek of horror from her antagonist. Deciding to take a risk and see what the woman had screamed about, she was pleasantly surprised by a feral-looking blue-haired teenager of sixteen years, who had sprinted his way to the centre pillar of the room. Drawing his sword at a terrifying speed, he cleaved the pillar into two, cutting open part of the ceiling in process. In a fluid and swift motion, Ryu grabbed something that was sticking out from the debris and started to pull.

"NO! Slave, stop it! Stop this at once!" the lilac-haired witch, who looked to be in her early twenties cried. In desperation, she concentrated all her attacks on Ryu. Katt gasped as she watched Ryu convulse slightly upon the impact. But what happened next had never left her memory as long as she could remember.

A feral growl that should have came from a primeval, powerful creature came from the Ranger instead as he shrugged off all twelve beams of the violet fire that had hit him and turned to glare at the witch with such a ferocity that even Katt knew better than to get closer to him.

'That look...It's just like the time when he fought with Stormwind and turned into the bluish dragon...' Katt thought in fear. Ryu's eyes were dilated and seemed incapable of showing any emotions at all. They were so deep that Katt felt as though she will be falling through a bottomless pit if she gazed into them for a second longer than she should. It was as though Ryu was not-well, was not Ryu anymore. He was someone far more superior, more powerful...and more unfeeling.

With an ear-shattering roar, the Berserker pulled out the weapon that had been stuck in the floor with a hefty pull. Although the hilt was as plain as plain can be save for obsidian covering on both sides, the blade itself was exquisite. It seemed to shimmer and shine, reflecting a delightful mixture of silver and red simultaneously as Ryu turned the katana slowly to examine it. It was only two-thirds of the length of his primary weapon but looked lethal enough to steal the life force of his adversaries. The pommel itself was made of an unexceptionally large gem which seemed to emit a humming sound together with its unnaturally bright red glow. As Ryu tested the edge of the katana, a row of whitish runes suddenly appeared on the hilt, displaying a language the Ranger did not know.

"Y'all alright? I felt a tremor-By Namanda! Is that Ryu?" The armadillo, covered in greenish blood and a few cuts and bruises had crashed through the doorway which restricted a comfortable access. He was shocked by the facial expression Ryu had, or rather, the lack thereof. Indeed, Rand had not known Ryu for that long and the time where he had to help fix Niro's house was not spent traveling with his blue-haired friend. There were to few facts and too many mysteries about the teenager who had defeated Baba-one of the most ferocious fighters in Coursair-without even a droplet of sweat visible on his brow.

Ryu nodded, acknowledging the arrival of Rand and drawing his long-sword, he swept both blades down in a 45 degrees arc at the shield.

It shattered without as much as a whine from the witch, who silently crumpled like her barrier from the impact caused by Ryu's attack. She tried to stand up and conjure another spell, only to be stopped by a dagger held against her throat.

"It ends here, Miss." Sten's familiar voice rang out. His breathing was ragged and he was panting heavily, as though he had just run a four-mile race. "Well then, now that we have all calmed down, we hope you can co-operate with us, Miss Nimufu..."

He had hardly finished when a certain Ranger seemed to pop up behind the witch, his eyes full of anger and murderous intent. The monkey-man quickly grabbed Nimufu around her waist and leapt out of harm's way as the deadly long-sword descended upon them. Sten was puzzled. Why did Ryu want her dead, especially when they needed her help to find a cure for Prince Jean?

"What the hell is wrong with you, Ryu? Snap out of it!" Sten shouted, only to have his plea land on deaf ears as his friend charged him with a thrust for his right shoulder. Dodging and feinting, Sten could hardly keep up with his deadly accurate, fast and powerful strokes. 'Damn it! I gotta admit, Dragon-Boy here is powerful...If only I can find an opening..."

He found none as he tried all sorts of feints and tactics to distract him from attacking, but the battle-crazed Ryu fell for nothing. Sten parried yet another disarming slash and this time it worked. The blow was so strong that one of his Zip daggers flew out of his hands while the other was dangling from his fingers. He watched helplessly as his death descended onto him in the form of a long-sword...

...Which was denied by a panicky Woren's bow staff and a purple and grey round mass, parrying Ryu's strike and knocking him away respectively. Sten heaved a sigh of relief and stood up, pulling the dazed witch with him.

"Clear outta here, Monkey-Man!" the ball shouted, making its identity known as Rand Marks. "We'll try to stop Ryu. Dunno what's goin' on with his mind...Urgh!" He had hardly finished that sentence when Katt flew straight into him. "Darn it! Get up, Katt! Ya ain't helpin' by sittin' around there, girl!" Rand exclaimed with panic as the possibility of Ryu chopping them up seemed VERY likely.

True, enough, he came like the speed demon he was, running towards the downed Woren and Shell Clan member. Rand grabbed Katt and jumped back. Looking at the eyes of his friend-turned-foe, he knew that the real Ryu Bateson was lost for now, for those eyes which contained friendliness and warmth were now filled with a lust for battle and blood.

"Stop it, Ryu!" A voice, slightly tinged with a dash of pain and worry sounded and Rand could only see a pair of wings with the color of the night shielding the both of them. One wing was charred and slightly blackened at the tip.

Nina Wyndia had came to their rescue, but what would happen to her? Rand did not want to think about it, but it was too late to do anything now...

To his utter amazement, there was no blood, no scream of pain from the winged princess. Daring himself to look up, the armadillo saw that had the blade moved a few more inches towards her, Nina would have joined her ancestors in heaven by now. He also noted that Ryu's eyes seemed to revert back to the ones they were before this whole mess began. There was no longer any hint of madness in his deep emerald green eyes. There was only regret and horror at what he realized he would have done to Nina, Rand, Katt and Sten had he not stopped in the nick of time.

'What's wrong with me? I thought I could control it...I thought I could deal with it by myself...!' Ryu's thoughts were all jumbled up and he fell to his knees, dropping the weapon that could have murdered one-no, all of his friends. He stared at his hands as though they were full of blood, the blood of innocents and those dear to him. "I...I don't want this to happen anymore…But why do I still yearn for the bloodlust? Why? Is it because I'm a Berserker? Why is this happening to me?" The pounding of his fists upon the floor echoed throughout the well-furnished room. "Evolution...Berserkers...Dragon Clan...I don't want to have anything to do with them anymore!"

Nina's green eyes softened. Ryu was after all, a teenager just like her. True, she had her great share of misfortunes and misery in her life, but she had known about her 'curse' at quite an early age compared to her friend. Furthermore, the curse had not really taken effect, as far as she was concerned. 'Being a Berserker...Being able to transform into a dragon and go out of control most of the time...' the obsidian-winged mage was sure even she won't be able to take it if these uncontrollable transmutations and changes could cause the death of her friends...and family. Ignoring the sharp pain at the tip of her right wing, she hobbled over to the Ranger, who was wallowing in addictive despair and sorrow.

"Ryu..."

His initial reaction was to recoil in terror, possibly at the prospect of going crazy and turning on Nina again. But upon seeing the hurt expression on her face, he relaxed his guard. Certain that he had calmed down, Nina knelt down next to him and smiled even as he tried to avoid looking at her.

The silence that followed suddenly made Ryu even more uncertain of Nina's state of emotions. Was she angry? Was she sad? The quietness which had descended upon them was so unnerving that Ryu had to make the first move.

"Aren't you...angry with me?" The uncertainty was no longer mixed with sorrow or caution and Nina perked at the fact that the Ranger had finally freed himself from the grasp of gloom that had encased him not long ago. Her smile grew wider and only served to add to Ryu's confusion, which promptly surfaced on his face.

"Now that's more like you, Ryu." Nina giggled as she watched that expression. Somehow, the Berserker was not as strong as she thought he was. He did have his more tender moments, especially when his friends are in need and currently, where he seemed so distraught about hurting people.

She suddenly hugged him tightly on an impulse, surprisingly Ryu even more. Strangely, he felt as though something warm was surrounding his heart and the abrupt disappearance of the former as though he had never been floundering in sadness at all. Slightly blushing from the contact and the fact that their friends (with an additional witch) were still watching, Ryu became even more confused.

"N-Nina...?"

"Don't worry, Ryu. I'm your friend. We're your friends. We know that you had no intention of attacking us in the first place." Her angelic voice seemed to be the only sound worth hearing in the world as she whispered in his ear so softly such that only he could hear her. "Let us help you, Ryu. Don't push us away; We-I believe in you. I know that you can triumph over all these. Give yourself time; give us time to help you."

"But...But I'm afraid I'll hurt all of you again. I might even end up killing innocent people and killing you. All of you. I don't want that...I..."

Nina smile tenderly. That was what she liked about Ryu the most. He was caring and sensitive (maybe) and never fails to worry about others more than himself. That was probably the reason why he was at a loss at how to control his new-found powers.

"We don't want it either. But you can't run away from it forever, Ryu. Didn't I just say that I believe in you? So please, Ryu, trust yourself. Trust us. Trust me."

With that final plea, Nina raised her head to lock an intense gaze with his eyes, the deep green ocean that she had always thought she would drown in if she just as much look into them for a second longer than she should. But now, the depth seemed minute compared to how vulnerable and uncertain he looked at this point in time.

'Just like a child...'

After several seconds, Ryu blinked, cutting off the connection of their emerald orbs. "Uh...Nina?"

"Hmm?"

"There are...people watching...You know, Katt, Sten, Rand and Nimufu..." He said slowly, feeling his red blood cells starting up a red dye shop on his face.

"Kyaaa!" Nina let go of him immediately and turned away from the group, attempting to hide her beet-red face from the rest. She was so absorbed in trying to cheer Ryu up and looking into his eyes that she had forgotten about what her 'spur-of-the-moment' impulse had egged her to do. Sten and Rand laughed boisterously while Ryu joined in later with a few nervous chuckles of his own. Katt, on the other hand, was not too happy with the fact that Nina had gotten so close to Ryu Bateson again.

'Ack! When had I been so worried about him anyway? I mean, he did warrant some concern, but its not like I decide who can go console him or something! Besides, I'm not really good at this kinda sentimental stuff...'

"Sniff..."

Katt turned to look at the crying witch. "Huh? Hey you, what the heck are you crying about?" Before she could say another word, two miniature waterfalls leaked out of the lithe spell-caster's eyes.

"Wahhh! Why can't someone treat me like that? Just because I'm a witch doesn't mean that I don't have feelings...In the end, only a frog has ever said that he loves me!" She continued sobbing until it irritated Katt, who grabbed her by her collar.

"Stop your whining, witch! You should be happy that at least someone has granted your wish for feeling loved and cared for. Instead, all you did was luring men from god-knows-where, seduce them and reduce them to a little more than zombies! Is that the idea of being loved, huh? Love is meant to be sacred! It is a two-way thing, not what you've been doing all this while. Since there is a...a man who professes that he loves you, why don't you try to reciprocate that feeling or find some other person the NORMAL way?"

The guys stopped laughing as they heard the commotion. They were all shocked that Katt, who usually stays away from words such as 'counseling' and 'diplomacy' was actually trying to talk sense into the miserable woman known as Nimufu. The Woren was never known to wax lyrical about ideals on politics and life, let alone philosophy. Then again, they should have expected this. Considering the brash personality Katt has, she would have either yelled at her to shut up or use force to make her do so.

Nimufu had stopped crying upon hearing this, as though the hammer of realization had hit her hard. She was staring at the furious female Woren, who had came to bare her fangs.

"...How old are you, Woren?" Nimufu asked calmly, any traces of her sadness gone.

"Eh? I'm fifteen." Katt replied. She felt herself losing grip on her temper as the witch giggled lightheartedly. "Fine! I'm so damned young! What's so funny about being young?"

"No, Miss Chuan. I never thought that such a young person like you would be the first one to wake me up from my delusions about men and such." The young witch smiled at Katt, who was rather taken aback by her actions. "You are a lot more mature than your age suggests."

Katt laughed embarrassedly and gave a hand to help Nimufu up. Rand grinned at how easily Katt's attitude towards people change. The Woren fighter never liked praise, even during the time when she was in the Coliseum and now. She had not changed much, something which Rand was grateful for, despite all that exposure from the world.

"So then, Nimufu, how do we cure Prince Jean of SimaFort?" Ryu finally found his voice and replaced his sword into its respective place. The witch shied away from him a bit. Apparently she still feared the little display he had showed, but she seemed more shocked by the revelation that the frog which had professed his love to her was actually the prince of the Frog Clan. "You do know that he is feeling very uncomfortable with meeting you now, since you placed a curse on him and he knows that you will probably never return his feelings."

"...I guess I'll come with you people. I own him an apology I guess..." The witch wistfully spoke and kept silent, trudging behind Katt, Rand and Sten as they turned to leave. Ryu began to do the same but stopped on hearing an audible gasp from behind.

"Nina? What's wrong?" He asked, aware of the fact that Nina was trying in vain to flap her wings, but every movement rewarded her with a wince. She tried to stand up next and her right leg seem to crumple like a piece of paper being crushed, causing her to fall down.

"Ah-ha ha...Seems that I can't neither fly nor walk..." Her cheerful façade almost tricked the others into thinking that she was not hurt badly but the tell-tale sweat on her face gave her away. Ryu, being the closest one to her, was the first to reach her and check her condition.

"You've twisted your right ankle and injured the most sensitive spot on your right wing ever since Nimufu hit you! Why didn't you say anything?"

"I...didn't want you to worry, seeing that you already have enough on your mind that is troubling you..." Nina smiled painfully. She could almost feel tears coming into her eyes when Ryu ever so slightly touched her wing-tip and bandaged it.

"Idiot! You should have said something first! Now it will take even longer to heal!" The shouting from him surprised Nina. 'He must have recovered faster than I thought he would...' Nina thought, secretly happy that Ryu was finally showing concern again.

Knowing that his winged friend needed help, Ryu could only think of one idea to let her get out of the tower. He faced away from Nina, knelt down and cupped his hands behind his lower back. "Come on. Let me give you a lift."

"I-It's okay! I don't need anyone's hel-Oww..." The Winidian groaned again as she tried to stand up for the second time and ended up hurting her bandaged ankle even more.

"Geez...And who was the one who told me not to push other people away when theywanna help? I understand you don't want to trouble anyone, so just take my offer as a payment for your help earlier on, Nina." Ryu said gruffly, feeling a little awkward that he had to say such words. There was no reply, only the slight feel of a weight on his back and two slender, delicate hands gripping his shoulders. His arms went round her legs such that the princess will be in a sitting position, blushing as he felt the smooth, creamy texture of her bare thighs. "Feels almost like the other time..."

"What other time?" Nina's said innocently, causing Ryu to turn red again as he thought about how she had used him as a bolster. He nervously laughed and resumed walking, assuring Nina that he was thinking about something else and breathed a mental sigh of relief that she had not woken up earlier than he did that day.

"Geez! You take so long just to go, Ranger!" Katt scowled angrily, presumably due to the time Ryu took to carry Nina. Pointing an accusatory finger at him, she spoke tenaciously: "Don't you think about anything dirty, Ryu! She's a princess after all, you know..."

"S-Shut up! Who asked your opinion anyway?" Ryu quickened his pace and almost fell forward as he went down the stairs. Rand and Sten just sighed and shrugged while Nimufu had an amused look on. They followed Katt slowly down to the entrance of the tower, with Jean eagerly awaiting their presence.

* * *

"There!" Nimufu added as she kissed the giant frog on his cheek. The frog swooned and seemed to glow. Gradually, the shape became smaller and smaller until it was about the size of a grown man. The light faded away to reveal the delighted face of Prince Jean Hoppa de Tapeta.

"Ahh...Zis good to be back again in my old form. Nimufu...! Vat are you zoing here, Mademoiselle?" It was obvious that the prince was uncomfortable around the witch, especially one who had turned him into a 'bigger' frog. Furthermore, this woman had rejected his love. Why had she been the one to lift his curse?

The witch smiled. "I'm sorry Jean. I shouldn't have placed that curse on you...I hope we can still remain friends?"

The green-skinned amphibian smiled cheerfully. "Of courz, Mademoiselle Nimufu. I zon't like zo hold grudgez anyway. It's too ziring." Taking the purple-haired woman's outstretched hand, he accepted her friendship and shook it firmly.

"Turns out all he needed was a kiss on his cheek by a female huh..." Ryu said softly, the slight breeze blowing at his blue hair as it swayed like grass in the wind. "Always thought that kinda thing belongs in a fairy-tale."

"Mmm..."Nina mumbled her agreement before her head drooped onto his right shoulder. 'The battle and the injuries must have worn her out,' Ryu thought, chuckling to himself.

"Ryu! What are you standing there laughing about? Come over 'ere! We gotta get to the camping site before nightfall! Prince Jean has promised to take us to SimaFort to help out with our problem!" Katy yelled, clearly irritated that Ryu had made no move at all to walk even after all of them had started to head south to the camping site. Was it his imagination, or did Katt seemed grouchier ever since he had carried Nina?

His answer came in the form of Sten, who had snuck up behind the Woren and 'boo!'ed her. She was hot on his heels a second later, staff waving madly, baying for monkey blood.

'It's just my imagination.' Thought Ryu as he shook his head in amusement and followed his friends, walking on the land kissed by the final rays of sunlight as twilight beckons.

* * *

"Never thought you would see 'im there eh?" Rand laughed and Ryu glared at him in return. "Always manages to pop up somewhere to torment ya."

"...Yeah. What a crazy god. He and his statues...You would think he would be more popular with the sculptors in Capitan, considering the fact that I have seen no less than five of that in my travels so far..." Ryu muttered. The camp site that rested slightly west of SimaFort was the largest in the region, frequented by holiday-goers and travelers alike. It came as a surprise that a Ladon statue was also there, although it seemed to be dysfunctional at the moment. In any case, Ryu was sure he could find effigies of the Dragon God in the middle of a god-forsaken desert (except for Ladon in this case) and not feel surprised.

"My friends, ve have arrived! Behold, ze capitol of ze Creeper Clan: ZeemaFort!" Jean proudly announced, not without the presence of pride in his voice. The party stared in amazement at the awe-inspiring structure as they stood up from their seats in the boat they were taking to reach their destination. The castle itself was magnificent to behold. It was built of a raw material which made its walls almost impregnable to siege attacks and able to endure the weathering of Time for quite a while. Looking further up south, Ryu could make out several sprawling floating cities, none as big as SimaFort but equally splendid.

As the party alighted and passed through the ornate city gates, which had carvings of great Creeper characters on them, Ryu noticed some people (or 'oversized frogs', as Katt would say) sending glances their way frequently and when he looked at them, they just looked away and resumed what they were doing.

"Hello, my good citizens! Your Prince haz come home!" Their amphibious friend sang out. Whether it was out of embarrassment or something else, the citizens moved away from him quickly. Jean's smile faded. "Ah? Aren't you going to velcome your Prince back, my dear citizens?" The prince was obviously puzzled. As far as he was concerned, people usually welcome him back with cheers and open arms, but all he had received so far was the cold shoulder. Had his disappearance been that long such that his beloved citizens had forgotten him?

"Something's not right." Ryu whispered as the heavy air of tension weighed down on him. "I can feel it."

"Geez, you are overreacting, Blue Boy. Maybe the citizens really did forget him or something. Don't get so worked up, man." Sten Legacy shrugged and remained nonchalant about the whole matter. That is, until he saw Creeper soldiers in the dozens, heavily armored and armed to the teeth pointing at their group and marching towards them. "Uh, I think you just might be right, Ryu." He grinned nervously as his hand went to the hilts of his daggers. Katt hissed and tightened her grip on her bow staff while Rand and Nina looked tense. Although they just might be able to beat off this battalion of soldiers, there are probably still a few thousand guards in the vicinity, something which was definitely beyond their power to handle.

As the guards neared the group, Ryu could see that there were mixed expressions on the faces of the spear-wielding group. Some of them looked surprised yet scared, while others looked stern and serious about doing their job, whatever that is.

"Iz zat him, Pierre?" One of them spoke up. From the differences of his more decorated armor compared to the others, Ryu silently assumed the speaker to be the leader of this group.

"Yez, Captain. Zat iz him alright." The soldier wore a bronze-colored armor like the other guards, but the difference was that his eyes betrayed a hint of sadness and regret as he pointed feebly at Jean. The captain nodded and four guards grabbed the prince by his arms and legs, picking him up and carrying him away.

"Hey! Put me down, please! I know you all are happy about my return, monsieurs, but zere's no need to go overboard on ze celebrationz!" Jean yelled while Ryu drew his sword quickly.

He was met by at least two dozen spears, each pointing at him threateningly.

"Zere is zome misunderstanding, Monsieurs and Mademoiselles. It iz regrettable to say zat you have all been tricked." The captain of the guards calmly declared. "Zat man who you traveled with is a zwindler and an imposter. I'm most sorry for ze inconvenience caused. If zere iz nothing else, please be on your way."

"Imposter? What the hell are you talking about, Toad-Face?" Katt yelled and was only restrained by Rand before she got into further trouble. Ryu had not relaxed his grip on his sword. Although what they say might be true, he was sure that the Dragon Tear-which had shone a yellowish-green color when he talked with Jean-was not a bad person and he did not deserved to be locked up unless there was a specific reason. The air thickened with more tension with every passing second as Ryu stared challengingly into the Captain's eyes, which seemed to waver a bit under the intensity of his gaze. Even the injured Nina was preparing to cast a spell. As time seemed to stop, the cauldron of tension seemed almost certain to boil and spill its contents when-

"Tsk, tsk. Captain! What iz the meaning of zees, eh?" An imperious voice rang out. A young blue-skinned Creeper came into their views with a considerably large entourage behind him. He was decked in fine livery and exquisite jewelry. Even his scabbard and boots were encrusted with precious sapphires and rubies. His eyes, full of vigor, authority and pride was enough to bring lesser men to hang their heads in shame or awe in front of him. The jeweled crown was enough to give away his identity to the adventurers.

"My Prince!" The captain gasped and knelt before him. The guards lowered their weapons and followed suit. "Long live your Highness ze Prince!"

"Zhank you. Now do get up." The apparently real Jean laughed loudly as the guards obeyed. Turning to Ryu, he scrutinized him just as Ryu had studied him a moment ago. A strange glint came into his eyes but faded as fast as sunlight when night came. Grinning Ryu, he spoke directly to him for the first time.

"I zhank you for helping us find ze imposter. He had been outside all zis while you see, and zere vere many rumors about a Creeper thief stealing and zvindling money out of people vith my name. Zat has tarnished my reputation greatly and it iz good zat you have found him. For that, you have my undying gratitude." He smiled briefly and too quickly at Ryu before turning to the captain to reprimand him for his 'lack of manners and ingratitude'.

As Katt saw Ryu tense despite finding a solution to their stand-off with the guards, she was able to ask when Ryu put a finger to his lips. Katt understood immediately and moved back just before the Prince gave orders to the guards to "ezcort ze guests stay to ze Palace guest rooms!" The Prince turned and smiled as he proceeded to continue: "Of course, I know zat outlanders such as you must be tired. Do rest one day before continuing vith your travels. This way please." He beckoned and turned to lead his entourage back to the palace while the guards positioned themselves behind them.

Ryu grinned suddenly. "I guess we have no choice then. We accept your wonderful hospitality, Prince Jean." In reply, the prince turned and grinned at him before walking off with his group. Ryu and his friends followed closely behind.

"Ryu...What's going on? Why did you go with them? Surely you don't think the first Jean is the imposter, do you?" Nina whispered worriedly, conveniently piggy-backed by the blue-haired warrior.

"Shh...We'll all talk once we get in. Hopefully we can depend on you to cast a spell that can enable us to talk without them listening in..." With that, he grabbed his Dragon Tear with his right hand and showed it to the Winidian princess.

It was glowing an angry crimson-obsidian color, the meaning of it lost on the clueless girl.

"Hate." Was all Ryu said as they quietly entered the grand palace. Even Nina had to admit that the halls were simply magnificent. Customary red and purple satin lined the walls and balconies. The banisters seemed to be made of the purest and best marble available while statues and large portraits of Creeper heroes from the mists of time decked the hallways as the group moved towards the guest rooms.

They were shown to separate rooms, although they were not far from each other. Ryu knew that considering that the "Prince" had such an intense amount of hatred or evil intentions towards him, there were bound to be guards outside his door at night or even now. How was he going to speak to all of them? 'This is going to be problematic...' He thought. As he looked towards the balcony, a brainwave came to him. Although it would be better if all of them could listen in on what he wanted to say.

Opening the huge glass windows quietly, he hopped onto the balcony and was surprised that a certain Highlander had done the same before him. Sten motioned for him to come over, to which Ryu nodded affirmatively. Jumping onto the balcony of Nina's room, he tapped twice on the glass window. The winged girl whirled about, a Spark spell ready at hand. The look of surprise and gradual dissipation of energies from her right hand was all that was needed for Ryu to come into her room. He put a finger on his lips and knelt down in front of Nina, facing away from her. The familiar weight that had placed itself on his back for the past two days came and he was off, bounding to the fifth balcony of the room, in which Rand currently resided.

Jumping from one window to another alone was one thing. Jumping with an approximately 30 kg Winidian on his back was another. Even though Ryu knew his strength and agility were above that of a normal human's, he had been tired out considerably by the Berserker taking over him. The battle, although short, had drained him mentally and he felt as though another jump would take a chunk of his life from him.

As they finally reached the fifth balcony, Ryu could see that Rand, Katt and Sten were already in discussion about random things. Putting Nina down, he proceeded to open the windows and stepped in without invitation. "Can we start now?"

The others turned to stare at him for a second and nodded their approval. With that, Nina began to chant and weaved a pattern in the air with her hands. Several moments passed, and Ryu felt a faint tingling of a magical net in the air around them. "All done!" Nina exclaimed happily. "I've placed a silencing spell around the room such that the guards can't eavesdrop on us."

"Good. Now that no one can hear us, perhaps you can fill us in on why you don't seem to trust the other Blue-Boy, Blue-Boy."

"Sten..."Ryu warned

"Alright, alright! I'm sorry. Geez...Rule number one: Always blame the Highlander for trying to lighten up the atmosphere..."

Katt ignored him and turned to Ryu with a questioning look. "So, Ryu? What exactly do you think is going on? How did you know that he can't be trusted?"

"First of all, my Dragon Tear never lies. The blackish-red color that it had flashed showed that he has ulterior motives. Secondly, I believe that this blue-skinned amphibian is the real imposter. Although it's just a feeling, I'm very sure of it."

The group drowned in silence for a moment. While these were all assumptions made by Ryu, they did felt that something was amiss. The citizens glancing at them and how the "Prince" did not have any kind of suspicion whether they were accomplices of the "fake" Jean.

"Ya know, come to think of it, I gotta admit Ryu's assumptions seem logical. That lil' bugger din' even bothered to introduce 'imself..." Rand mused.

"So what are we going to do now? We can't just break into the prisons of this place and try to find the real guy."

Truth to be told, Ryu had no idea at all how to prove Jean's innocence. He knew that one Dragon Tear and his assumptions are not reliable and concrete enough to unveil the truth to the Creepers who were kept in the dark. Then maybe-

"We can always look for the princess. Remembered that Jean said that he had a sister, Petape Hoppa de Tapeta? If we seek her help, maybe we can be able to prove whether the first Creeper we met is the real Jean or not." Nina finished his thoughts for him as she suggested to the whole group.

But even before there was a slightest indication of agreement, something crashed through the window. These 'things' stood up and started attacking the party, who were caught a little off-guard by the ambush. Recovering quickly, Ryu drew up his newest weapon from his calf and dodged several projectiles meant for his neck and chest. Charging the nearest masked assassin, he swept the katana up in a crescent motion and amputated his left arm. Before he could even cry out in pain, Ryu charged him with a powerful thrust and left go of his grip on the weapon. The katana embedded itself into the assassin's shoulder and pinned him to the white walls of the room.

Katt faced off with two of the assassins, both holding the standard short swords and daggers. They rushed Katt, both attacking her from the front. Thrust, riposte, dodge, feint, slash, dodge-It was like a dance of death amongst the three of them as they tried to find an opening to kill the other. Finally, Katt feigned arrogance and taunted the both of them, her eyes flashing with pride and her posture lazy for a person fighting for her life. The shorter assassin rushed forward, probably in anger and Katt sidestepped his crazy attack, smashing her bow staff down onto the neck of her attacker. He slumped to the ground without as much of a protest.

As she whirled to deal with the other, she was surprised to see Nina parrying the strokes of the other with one of the daggers picked up from a downed assassin. Her face was gripped by determination and concentration, although it was bordering a little on desperation, Katt secretly admired Nina for trying hard to fend off her attacker. She rushed him from behind and gave him an almighty blow to his legs, which promptly crumbled and the next hit landed on his skull. An audible cracking sound was heard and the assassin dropped like a rock onto the floor, dead as a dodo.

"You alright?" Katt asked quickly. Nina nodded and pushed her away. Two throwing daggers embedded themselves into the wall behind where the Woren had been before. She silently cursed herself for her carelessness and attacked the people responsible for attacking her with the daggers.

Although Rand found it rather easy to take down the assassins when he got his hands on them, it was by no means simple for him to catch them and avoid their attacks at the same time. As another blade grazed his arm, causing the crimson liquid to seep out, he growled and lashed out wildly. Two unfortunate assassins suddenly found themselves flying towards the ceiling and when they landed, they were no longer able to fight, having their senses knocked out of them.

Sten, on the other hand, was having a breeze fighting the slower assassins. He slashed three across the chest and stabbed another in the heart, effectively ending the chaos that had ensued when the assassins entered the room. He grinned in grim satisfaction and was about the search the bodies when the door burst open.

"Monsieur! Are you alright?" The Prince burst in and a horrified expression was plastered onto his face when he saw the dead bodies and wounds received by his guests. "_Mon Dieu! _Vat has happened? Vy are all of you here?" He stared, a dumbfounded expression on his face now. Before letting them answer or ask any questions, he immediately sent another order to his guards to clear the mess and arrest any assassins who were alive or unconscious. Turning to the group with an apologetic smile on his face, he apologized and asked them whether it was possible for them to leave by tonight because they "vere in danger of being assassinated by those fanatics who believed zat you have broughz him in."

He left it at that, and the forty guards who escorted them to the gates made it clear that the party had no other choice other than complying with the Prince's 'suggestion'. As they were jostled out of the gates, it slammed shut in their faces, leaving them alone once more.

"Oookay, now I totally agree with Ryu about this guy not being the real Prince." Sten spoke, his voice being the needle which pierced the silence, which was otherwise punctuated by the beating of gentle waves upon the docks.

Katt snorted. "Geez, just because he threw us out and now we have no place to stay? What great logic, Monkey-Man!" She turned to glare at the Highlander, who did the same to her, considering how irked he was already, that was no surprise.

"Stop it, you two. This ain't the time to be arguin'. We gotta think of sumthin' right now." Rand stopped as he saw a small silhouette struggling with something in the darkness. "Hey, who's that?"

Nina turned and took a long look at the figure. From the looks of it, the figure was a 'she' due to the slender figure and the ankle length clothing the person wore, though it could be a priest. But by the way the person was moving...

"I'll take a look." Ryu whispered and ran over to the figure. With his enhanced eyesight, he could see that the person was a Creeper who was struggling to push a large boulder towards their boat.

"Wha-? Our boat? Oh no, don't tell me..." He shouted. The startled female Creeper quickly gave a last heave and managed to push the boulder down onto the boat, breaking it into splinters upon impact and sinking it into the abyss below.

"Zere! It's z'one!" A sweet yet strong voice sounded, coupled with a few pants in between. Ryu rushed forward and spun the female around to face him, irritation gripping him as he realize that the only mode of transport for them out of this place was gone. Furthermore, he was unable to find out about the thief in this place.

The female Creeper was beautiful by Creeper standards, her skin smoother than most and her eyes large and round. Her pinkish skin seemed to make her glow, indicating her emphasis on skin-care products (maybe). She was of small build, shorter than Ryu by a head and a half and the most important feature seemed to be her eyes. Though it made her look delicate, there was an inner strength that stood unwavering.

She pulled away from him and began to apologize: "I'm zorry for breaking your boat, but zere are more pressing matters at hand. You are ze only people who can save my brother now. Please hurry!" She said urgently. Sensing the Creeper's words to be genuineand knowing the yellowish gem in the Dragon Tear shonethe truth, Ryu made to follow her to wherever she was heading to.

Then thegates began to creak open.

The Creeper panicked. Looking frantically around for hiding places, she found none and without a word, pushed Ryu, Nina and Katt down into the water. Sten and Rand were bewildered by her actions, but decided to jump in anyway, hoping that the mysterious stranger had a good reason to do so.

"Quit struggling, Katt! You are going to attract attention! Urk-" Ryu sounded a mangled and muffled cry as Nina's hold around his neck tightened. "I know you don't like the water, N-Nina, but could you try not to strangle the only float you have?"

"S-Sorry. I don't know how to swim."

"And that's seems to be the case for our little miss Woren here as well..." Ryu's attempt to snicker was cut off by the chokehold Nina had tightened on him. "Nina, I hope you don't try to drown me now..."

"Sorry..." The Winidian sorceress replied sheepishly. Katt pouted and thrashed her way over to Ryu, hugging him tightly.

"Hey! W-What the heck are you trying to do, Katt Chuan?"

"Haha...Stay afloat?" The Woren blushed as she thought of the audacity of her actions. Normally she would not have done that, but at least the water gave her an excuse to be able to get near the blue-haired teen, which was something she had wanted to do ever since she met him. It was an inexplicable attraction. Or was it perhaps he had saved her from danger once?

Maybe it was both.

Sten laughed quietly as he saw the poor Ranger at the centre of attention literally. Ryu was probably what he would call a real "ladies' man" at this moment. He was surprised initially, that Katt did not know how to swim while the gigantic Rand stayed afloat better than he did.

"I took swimming lessons sine I was a wee toddler, Sten."

"...Oh."

As he floated noiselessly in contrast to two certain females and a Ranger, he picked up bits and pieces of conversation between the Creeper and two other people.

"Princess...Prince...order...zee if zey have gone safely."

"Of course they...I zaw to zat...accusing me of zomething?"

"No, princess...go back first."

"Run along now." The voice was louder than normal, a command that was used almost everyday that it had seemed so natural and habitual. The Highlander heard the shuffling of feet and the closing of gates and he strained to hear the whispers coming from the other person and the apparent Princess Petape.

"...Feezing him...no one else...in good care, Princess."

"Zat's good...low profile...Got zome help..."

'Help? What kind of help? Does she mean us?' Sten was rather doubtful about this. Then again, considering that the Prince Jean in prison should be the real one, maybe she was referring to them after all...

"Hel-Help...Urg..." Sten turned to see a desperately drowning Ryu with Nina and Katt struggling to stay afloat. Sten just sniggered while Rand swam over to help them. Seeing that the Princess and the guard gazing over the edge at them in bemused despair, Sten finally roared with laughter...

* * *

"You think it's funny eh?" Katt admonished Sten loudly, who had drifted in and out of consciousness after the blow Katt had given him when they were able to get onto dry land. They had been admitted to an inn under the orders of the Princess after she had repeatedly apologized for her strange behaviour earlier on. Now waiting for the awakening of Ryu, the rest of them either paced about uneasily or fidgeted as they sat down.

Others, like Sten, simply hummed a tune to keep the throbbing sound out of his head.

"Would you just shut up for a moment?" Katt growled and Sten stopped his silly tune, which seemed to be a relief to the mild-mannered armadillo.

* * *

"Oww...This trend has got to stop..." Ryu sat up. Darkness surrounded him and even with his enhanced eyesight, he could not see through the black fog. Gradually, he felt as though his senses had stopped working. He was unable to do anything in this darkness and a sense of panic took over everything.

Then, a presence, full of anger and passion seemed to flood Ryu's mind. It was an ominous, yet it was as though he had known this being for his whole life and relaxed his guard. The darkness was soon driven away by a myriad of colors, each of them so bright that it blinded the Ranger momentarily. When he opened his eyes, he saw a face about three times the size of his body, staring down at him imperiously. He felt the power and energy from it and most of all; he felt anger and vengeance emanated from the being. He felt drawn to it, yet feared it, something which felt natural for him to feel.

"Do not fear, child of the Brood. I'm but the other entity sharing your body. Your other consciousness."

"What?" Ryu was confused at first. 'Didn't I have full control of my actions all the time? Unless...Unless he's...!"

"Yes, I'm the Berserker inside of you." The face took on a more familiar face. The fangs materialized as did the ancient bestial face, which resembled the creature that Ryu had transformed into.

"Interesting, no? Does it really surprise you that much that I'm talking with you instead of growling in a crazy manner and trying to attack your spirit now?"

Ryu tried to cover up his shocked expression but failed miserably. "Huh? No...I guess I'm just surprised. What do you mean by spirit? I can't be dead, right?"

"It's called a spirit separation and occurs every once in a while. It depends sometimes on your luck or the times you have been close to dying."

"I see. So why am I seeing you now? I mean why can I see you now?"

"Simple. The times when I can come out and take control of your body were when you are near death or in grave danger. However, I tried to force my way through to take over your body in the latest incident. Your body rejected me and confusing your spirit as part of the malevolence in me, you were sent out as well, leaving a living buy spiritless body behind. As your spirit was rejected at the same time as me, we seem to be in the same place and were able to meet."

'Gosh, this is so overwhelming...' Ryu thought as he tried to absorb the knowledge. 'So technically, I'm dead, but I'm not dead...Argh! It's all too confusing!'

"Indeed it is, my host."

"Wha-You can read my mind?" Ryu said as he realized that the entity had read his mind twice. The being merely laughed, a deep, throaty chuckle which echoed throughout the deep red caverns.

"That is not important, considering that what you asked can be answered by common sense. Come, my host, there is much to be done!" A body finally materialized, wearing an ancient suit of armor that Ryu had neither seen nor read about. It was mainly black with a few shades of blood-red colors on the shoulder plates, gauntlets and boots. The face grew smaller until it was about the size of a man's head and fitted itself onto the armor. Weaving a pattern in the air, the figure chanted and an equally primordial door appeared, the runes on it drawn to curve wickedly. As the entity stepped through, he beckoned for the teenager to follow.

"Wait! At least tell me where we are going and what we are going to do!" Ryu ran after the figure, which stopped and spoke quietly and seriously, a contrast to the tone used before.

"We are going to the Dannath Tais, the Land of Eternal Legend. There, we shall train on how you can handle your Evolutions more easily. By the way, time stops in here, so don't worry about spending months or even years training." The dragon-man snapped his fingers, and a imaginary training room appeared out of nowhere, covering the red barren land they were walking upon a moment ago.

"Train? Dannath Tais?"

"Yes, Ryu Bateson of the Brood. If you are not ready, then I can always send you back. What say you?"

Ryu thought hard. He was anxious about what had happened to his friends, but a gut feeling told him that there should not be anything much to worry about. Why would he travel with them if he did not trust their capabilities? The dragon-man smiled as he read his thoughts and a steely determination took over the clouded and uncertainty in Ryu's eyes.

"You can't run away from it forever, Ryu. Didn't I just say that I believe in you?" Nina's words echoed in his mind and his resolve finally hardened completely. With an air of great confidence and pride, he turned and stood before the dragon-man proudly.

"...Yes, I'm ready."

"So it begins, Ryu Bateson..." The dragon-man replied and set off the training facilities...

* * *

"It's zaking too long for him to vake up!" Petape sat down impatiently and stood up again, visibly stressed and worried. "Ack! I' ll just zell you how ve can prove my brother's innocence now. You can fill him in on ze details later." The princess cleared her throat and everyone turned to listen to the figure of authority.

"So what do you suggest, Princess?" Nina asked, curiosity getting the better of her worry about Ryu's condition.

The other princess looked cheerful at last, almost triumphant, as she announced her intentions.

"Ve shall have a cooking contest Vith ze fake Prince!"

* * *

So how was it? I know some parts of this sounds rather rushed and confusing, so do tell me whether I need to explain on them in the chapters or separately. By the way, I won't be alive online for about ten days due to exams coming up, so the next chapter might take an additional week or two before it arrives. If there are any blatant errors in BoF facts and language mistakes, I apologize and sincerely hope for constructive suggestions. By the way, I might have overdone the stupid accent thingy and I sincerely apologize to those who take and have greater knowledge of the French language than me (I can't speak French!). Do tell me if I should keep this accent thingy going or not. Thanks to all readers and do please read & review!

Signing off, _Wingdom_


	13. Chapter 8: A not so fairytale ending

Hey there! I'm back again. Sorry for the long wait, though many of you readers might not like this story that much anyway, since it's just a figment of my imagination. Sorry if this chapter seemed rushed and less detailed. I'll try to improve on the next one! I promise!

Dear latest reviewers:

**Sylin:** Thanks for your encouragement! I don't dare take credit for being a good writer, but it's always nice to know that there area few more people out there who appreciate my coarse work!

**zero asakura:** Thanks for your compliments! I'm unworthy of such praise, though. I'm not sure if what I wrote in this one is to your liking for Nina's POV, since my story is mostly based on third-person POV. I hope you enjoy this as well! (Nina rules x2!)

**Red Mage 04:** As usual, I have to thank you for your compliments, but you know that I'm an inconsistent writer from my chapters...Sorry it took so long to update and glad you liked the ideas about a separate entity in Ryu and the katana. Its identity will be revealed in the next chapter by a certain villain (evil grin). Sorry about the berserker armor mystery. I'm planning to reveal it a little later than usual. As usual, if you have any advice on improving my story, please leave your comments. They are always greatly appreciated.

**Dragon Man 180:** Sorry about disappointing you...The group won't taste the food in this one, maybe in the next one. I was going along a more serious line in this chapter, so I beg for your forgiveness before you chase me with a butcher knife! Haha...As for Nimufu and Jean pairing up, I'll try to see to it the next chapter as well and maybe in a sequel. Who knows? Thanks again for reviewing! I hope this one doesn't disappoint you too much...

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything official, so don't take me to court over this story.**

Onward bound to the story!

Breath of Fire 2: Chapter 8-A not so fairytale ending for a not so evil imposter

"Let me get this straight: We are going to catch a fly, a Water-Worm and a Giant Cockroach and COOK them?" Sten scrunched his face up in utter disgust. "There are limits to the weirdness of diets, you know..."

"Sten! That's rude..." Nina exclaimed. Although she shared the same sentiments as the monkey about the plan of the Princess of SimaFort-otherwise known as Petape Hoppa de Tapeta- the Winidian magician could not help but goggle at the names of the exotic dishes that the former had mentioned. Deep-fried Water-Worm, Giant Roach Pie and Gold Fly Pudding, a "feast fit for a king!" Was what Petape had said. Although Nina was polite enough not to question the choices of the Princess, she could not help but shudder at the thought of fighting and catching gigantic bugs, slaughter them and toss them into a wok or something to cook them into a meal.

Had she not been taught lessons in manners, Nina would probably have said the same thing as Katt.

"Disgusting! What kind of meals do you people eat?" The Woren literally screamed beside Nina, who covered her ears and winced in response to the ear-splitting sound produced by her friend. The black-winged magician just kept her mouth shut, considering that she had been thinking something along the line of what Katt had unceremoniously hollered out.

Petape however, seemed unperturbed by Katt's apparent discomfort with the idea of cooking bugs for consumption. "Yes. Zat is ze best idea I can zink up of-"

"But what about enlisting the help of the other people who believe that the real Jean is in prison? I do think that there are plenty of people out there who are willing to help your Highness. What's more, doesn't Jean have some sort of evidence to prove his innocence?" A big armadillo who had been sitting silently while a Highlander and Woren ranted and raved about disgusting meals finally spoke up.

"He does have ze ring of royalty, but ze fake has one just like it too." Petape proceeded to pace to and fro frantically in the room, an indication of her extreme impatience and worry which she otherwise did not show. "The guards and people who believe in my brother are too powerless and too few to do anything...Ack! Zis is zo frustrating!" She yelled as the pink-skinned Princess vented her anger and frustration on a nearby table uncharacteristically. The four other people literally jumped as she banged the table and Sten laughed nervously when he saw the cracks appearing on the victim of the Princess's wrath.

As they waited for the Princess to cease her rambling, Nina's eyes traveled to the unconscious warrior lying on the second bed in the room. So far, he had shown no visible signs of waking, and the weight of her worry was getting heavier and heavier as she watched Ryu as he laid trapped in a seemingly endless slumber. As Rand had confirmed earlier, Ryu was still breathing and alive, thus leaving the mystery of why he was not up on his feet yet unsolved.

Even so, Nina was still unable to free herself from the web of concern that had taken over her mind. There was the problem about the fake prince, the plans to catch the extremely rare creepy-crawlies and now there was their unanimous leader, incapacitated indefinitely. It was as though misfortune and trouble followed them everywhere ever since they had started traveling.

"It must have been...The wings..." Nina muttered softly, eyes overcast with dejectedness.

"What?" Realizing that she had not been as quiet as she thought, Nina turned towards the four of them arguing about how to look for and trap their intended preys. 'Well, hiding it won't do any good anyway. I might as well get it off my chest.'

"Well...All these misfortunes which had happened are probably due to my wings..."

"What? Why do your wings come into this?" Sten replied confusedly. Nina shifted uncomfortably. Somehow, she had always found it hard to speak about the 'curse' that she had been bestowed upon her since the day she was able to breathe, feel and hear. Hear that her father had spoken in horror about something abominable.

"Geez...Haven't we gone through this already?" Katt muttered, exasperation as clear as crystal in her voice. She stood up and placed her paws on Nina's shoulders with such a force that it actually hurt. "Look here, Nina. You're not helping by whining about you stupid curse and how it's affecting everyone around you. Give us a little less problems and angst, little princess!"

The indignation took over, but failed to incite any passionate response in the black-winged wizard. She simply slumped and looked down at the floor, as though her very gaze would blight the Woren and cause misfortune to befall her. This only served to fuel the fire of anger in Katt and she hauled the Winidian to her feet.

"You idiot! Do you think you are the only one with secrets and troubles? Do you seriously think that the rest of us don't give a damn about Ryu? Everybody's worried, for goodness' sake and that doesn't give you any right to whine about your stupid curse all day long!"

"Ehh...K-Katt, calm down-"

"Shut up, you flea-bitten primate!" She turned and glared at the Highlander with such a crazed fury in her eyes that he froze in terror and clammed up immediately. Turning back to Nina, she glared at her fervently. "I just as worried as you about Ryu's condition, but do you think Ryu would've approved of what you're doing now? Destroying yourself from within...That is the worst idea you could ever contribute to our discussion!" With that, the Woren stomped off and slammed the door, the sound of it reflecting the degree of her foul mood and anger.

Her words, however, did have the desired effect, as a wide-eyed Nina stopped brooding and droplets of water began to appear in her eyes.

All the others could do was to look on in a mixture of wonder, uneasiness and helplessness.

* * *

"...It's decided then. Ve vill issue an official and direct challenge to ze culinary skills of the fake Prince. Ze judges vill be ze best cooks in our palace and my father, ze King himself." Petape announced proudly before the giant armadillo and the pointy-headed Highlander, who clapped unenthusiastically. Although they did not approve of the plan, it was the only one that seemed like the path leading out of the mess they were in. What they did not understand, however, was why Princess Petape had asked them whether they were "willing to place zeir lives on ze line." What was so dangerous about catching a few little insects? True, it might be difficult, given that the little critters will probably scamper about all over the place. Sten and Rand did not really see any danger in capturing small insects and bringing them back, unless they were poisonous, and that assumption had already been refuted by the Princess herself.

"Alright. Come on, Sten. You go get that spit-fire lass while I'll just get Nina-"

"No..." Her voice, barely a sprite's song in a gale whispered. Rand turned and kept silent. Somehow he knew something like this would happen, ever since Ryu had told him all about the curse the Winidian princess had. He knew that even if the princess was mentally stronger than any of them, even a grand palace has a few rotten beams and pillars somewhere and Nina was no exception. To Rand, everyone had their weak moments and he hesitated with her refusal to move.

"No..."She repeated, her bangs hiding the expression present on her face and eyes. "I want to stay here...To watch over Ryu..."

"You needn't vorry about zat, Nina. I've arranged for zome of my zervants and zoldiers to guard him."

"But..."

"No more buts, Wyndia," The familiar and feisty voice called out. The door unceremoniously banged open and Katt Chuan marched in noisily. Any rage that had been present within her moments ago was lost in the mists of time, seemingly forgotten. She stood haughtily before Nina. "Come on, Nina. We've got a person to save. We have decided this matter a while back. Now we must use actions to fulfill what we set out to do. That's what Ryu would say, I think…"

"I'll go then." Nina suddenly stood up; causing a surprised Katt to back off a little, though what really surprised her was the quick change in her demeanor and the determined look in her eyes. Rand smiled at the sight of the blazing determination in her eyes. At least things were suddenly looking up for them for now. While Ryu was still unconscious, it was the least they could do to go forth and set out to finish what Ryu had wanted to.

"Well then," Rand cleared his throat and straightened his toga, standing up as Sten fell in place beside him. "Shall we get goin', your Majesty?"

* * *

The dragon-humanoid watched in satisfaction as the blue-haired teen who captured his attention was brought to his knees by a ghostly opponent's sword. Had his sword came up a moment too late, the Broodling would have been shorter by a head by now. The obstacle courses earlier had been meant to test the basic strength and endurance of the Dragon Clan youth. He had laughed it off, along with the information that the training was life-threatening. Watching as the ghost score a hit on Bateson's arm, the dragon-man grinned as the youth had another close encounter with the Grim Reaper.

Ryu Bateson, spiritually intact, but without his body as of yet winced as the sword bit hungrily into his flesh like a hungry predator of the past. The serrated edges easily cut through his skin and slid easily into his arm, breaking flesh and red blood cells there and then. While he knew that this was only his own spirit, the pain, the sweat and the smell of death seemed real enough. His invisible opponent gave him no luxury time for rest and Ryu had to parry each powerful blow with much difficulty.

'This strength and speed...It's soinhuman! No human ghost can attain this level of power! I'll have to be more serious if I am to keep my head…' Ryu thought carefully as the sword lunged towards him again. "To defeat this, I need to do something, something in particular which will aid me greatly in controlling the Berserker in me..."

"The Valgraen of the Dannath Tais: Wanderers of the Land of Legend. They are the inhabitants of this place, ghosts of the old which have seen and done much even before your first ancestor was born. Born of the Dracois Matios, the Mark of the Dragon, they are the ancestors of the first human-looking members of the Dragon Clan." TheBerserker spirithissed, a sound which could be barely discerned as humorless laughter. "The one you are fighting now is a mere peasant in their society, so do try your best, Broodling." With that, the creature hissed and sat down, the look of contentment only adding to Ryu's frustration.

The ranger cursed silently as the laughter, both mocking and humorless echoed in his head. Damned the connections between him and the Berserker! Although he had agreed to this, the meaning of all these training would have been for naught if his spirit died here or if he failed to understand what he had to do to defeat his wraithlike opponent. Even for a Broodling, the dodging and fruitless attacking only added to the fatigue of Ryu, and without a great amount of concentration to make up for his slowing movements, Ryu could have died a thousand times over-

_Concentration?'_ Ryu's eyes widened as realization struck him like a bolt of lightning from a clear, cloudless sky. _If everything was spiritual here, perhaps I've been using the wrong method to attack the Valgraen...In this sense, physical attacks cannot harm it, unless I can make it materialize somehow..._

The Valgraen specter watched as the blue-haired warrior closed his eyes, the sword drooping slightly from his right hand.

Like an attack dog given the signal by his owner to tear the enemy's throat out, The ghostly warrior leapt at Ryu with a voracious bloodlust, the equally ethereal sword held in both hands as it swung the great-sword downwards, attempting to chop yet another unfortunate victim into two pieces.

But the scream of anguish and pain that it had come to enjoy over time never came.

Instead, all it heard was the mocking yet triumphant laughter of the Summoner rang in its ears and only its battle instincts saved it from being impaled upon a magical katana from its own prey. Ryu retreated as the specter hissed in recognition of the blade.

"Moradanen! SSSword of the Cloudssssss! Where did you get thisss, little Broodling?"

It was Ryu's turn to look surprised. "You mean this? I pulled it out from a pillar from Nimufu's Tower. But you probably never heard of her before, considering that your age makes you eligible to be my ancestor."

The apparition hissed again, the alien laughter reminding Ryu of a snake which had just cornered its prey-a rat and was playing with it. "Liessss. It dissssappeared after the Betrayal and wassss never found. How could it be that thissss accurssssed weapon landssss in the handssss of a sssstrapping Broodling? Imposssssible!" As the voice rose, so did the gradual materialization of the apparition that had been Ryu's invisible tormentor moments ago occur.

The being was by no means different from the Berserker spirit that had brought him into these god-forsaken barrens, except that it had a more defined head with a slightly longer neck. The eyes had narrow, vertical slits for irises and the tell-tale scales on its face confirmed its race. The chain-mail it wore was as ancient, if not older than the Berserker spirit's. The runes on it radiated a faint reddish light, the malevolent color reflecting the color of that in the Dragon Tear and the intentions of the wraith. The great-sword itself was made of a metal black in color and dull, its edge absent of the luster of shine in blades. As Ryu took a closer look, he saw a pendant hanging loosely around his opponent's neck, a few curves carved in the frame around the glowing jewel in the centre. There was a miniature dragon-head above the jewel.

"The Dragon Tear! But why do you have one?" Ryu shouted his query to the dragon-like warrior before him. The warrior indicated his surprise at the ranger's possession of the same item with angry hisses. Rather than talking, it decided to end everything with actions.

Leaping into action, the dragon-man sent an almighty cleave downwards. Its blue-haired target leap to the left, drawing his long sword at the same time and slashing at the expose right flank of it. The powerful blow was blocked, however, by a dagger that seemed to materialize out of nowhere. Ryu cursed and tried the Shippou Kaze no Awai technique on his opponent. A hiss of pain told him that his gamble of using a weaker but faster technique paid off, though he could not hope for a great deal of damage inflicted on the shade. Dodging swiftly under the high swing of the other's blade meant to separate his head from the rest of his body, Ryu jumped back to catch his breath.

"It works! Once I concentrate, the spirit becomes physical...Well, in this realm, that is..."

The Berserker spirit beamed, two rows of sharp and bright white teeth showing. The Broodling had not disappointed him. In fact, the progress Ryu Bateson had seen far exceeded his expectations. Although the ranger did not know the fundamentals of controlling the Berserker spirit, he was slowly beginning to understand them and apply them to fighting spectral adversaries.

"It seems that the Judge has not chosen wrongly. Ashkael-Krohn...I wonder what he would do if he realizes I'm still alive and in the body of a Brood clansman..." The spirit, apparently satisfied with Ryu's current performance as he engaged his adversary in a deadly and dangerous dance of swords, muttered quietly, a strange sense of nostalgia overcoming his thoughts as he remembered the ancient times…

"Hssss!" No sooner had he tried to remember the 'good old times' did the cry of pain come, loud and definitely nothing like a human's. He smiled. At least his disciple cum host scored another hit on his opponent, even if he had not defeated it yet.

Ryu grinned victoriously. He had managed to actually hurt his opponent, who had so far suffered nothing but a few scratches from his Shippou Kaze no Awai move.

"Now we are equal, Valgraen." Ryu smiled.

Little did he know that was the last smile he plastered on his face while fighting his opponent.

"Wretched Broodling! I will destroy you!" The dragon-warrior bellowed, an ear-shattering roar threatening to blot out Ryu's sense of hearing. As Ryu watched in fascination, the warrior's eyes became dilated and its breathing slowed considerably.

It was also a Berserker.

"What? Damn it!" Ryu exclaimed as his opponent rushed at him with an inhuman speed, almost knocking his sword out of his grasp with overwhelming power. Trying to clear his mind, Ryu concentrated on what could be his most dangerous and violent fight ever.

_

* * *

_

_Zis is it. _Princess Petape Hoppa de Tapeta thought, wishing that somehow her brother had listened to her advice and stayed in SimaFort, taking lessons of etiquette and manners and learning how to be a King, like the successors of thrones always do.

It must have been her bad luck to have a brother with wanderlust.

She shook her head, amused and irked by the fact that her brother, who had an insatiable appetite for traveling was as gullible as a babe. He was so clueless about everything Petape sometimes-no, always wondered whether she had any blood relation to her brother at all.

Petape walked towards the throne room with great purpose while the party-with the exception of Ryu-walked behind her. She was what a Creeper would think of as 'beautiful', but the stares that she received from the guards now seemed to reflect nothing of admiration. In fact, if anything, their eyes only showed shock and panic at seeing the entourage behind her.

"It's them!"

"But why are they here? Why are they with the Princess?"

As the chatter continued, Petape thought she had burst a vein in her head. She had always assumed that only the palace maids loved to gossip and talk about other things that they were not supposed to.

_How wrong I was…_The Princess thought darkly, wondering if the guard who had been secretly bringing food and drink to her authentic brother in prison will get into trouble due to the wagging tongues of prison wardens and such.

As she walked towards the two beautifully ornate gold doors, Petape composed herself and pushed her way through despite the warnings of the guards that the Prince and the King were 'in an important meeting discussing about something confidential'. Her eyes narrowed as they met the surprised ones of the blue-skinned "Prince" and her half-blind father's purple orbs.

"_Bonjour,_ Father." Petape spoke, her voice impatient but warm at the same time. While she could not wait to throw down the gauntlet at the fake Prince's feet, she never failed to become gentler when it came to her father. She had never been one to take a lot from her father, though sometimes his state of half-senility frustrated her on more than one occasion. Presently, she was happy enough that her father had turned, nodded and smiled at her in acknowledgement.

Her mood, though, was spoiled thoroughly by the Creeper next to her beloved father.

"Hello, dear sister. Vhere have you been?" The voice was cheerful enough to mirror that of her real brother's, Petape was no fool. She scowled heavily at the supposed imposter. She was, after all, the younger sister of the Prince. Who else would be able to differentiate the real from the fake?

"Come now, dear sister. I'm really sad zat you vould believe the filthy lies of some people and accuse me of being a fake. I've ze royal signet ring, haven't I?" The Prince walked up to them, holding out his right hand. On his fourth finger was the ring, intricately designed and made to fit for his finger. "I gather that you vish to challenge my claim again, dear sister?"

"Yes I do, but please vatch your mouth, imposter. I'm no sister of yours." Petape snapped back venomously. Katt did not miss the fire of burning hatred in her eyes either. Whether this Prince before them was real or not, Katt admired the Princess for her fiery determination and spirit. Heck, if all goes well, they might even end up as good friends, considering how closely linked their personalities were…

"Release my brother and ve vill challenge you to a cooking contest to determine who's ze real Jean!" Petape announced before anyone could stop her.

_I take back what I thought earlier…_Katt thought exasperatedly. The Princess was definitely bossier than she was and does things her own way without thinking about the opinions of others. If she had been someone else, the Woren would not have hesitated to land a few blows on her head.

The Prince 'tsked' and smiled. "Ah, my dear, dear sister. Of course I accept. As long as it makes you happy, zen I accept your little challenge. However, Petape," Her mentioned name gave the Princess a notable shiver of disgust and loathing down her spine. "I vill not lose. As you would often tell other people: other zan cooking, zere's nothing much I can do right. And by then, when ze imposter has lost, perhaps I vill be more lenient and exile him from ze kingdom instead of executing him on charges of high treason. After all, it's just a cooking competition, isn't it? I shouldn't get too serious, unless ze imposter gets humiliated." He walked over and Petape stiffened. "Please, Petape. Can't you accept ze fact zat your brother has changed for ze good after traveling so much? I just vish to settle down and live up to Father's expectations and to yours too, nothing more. Vhy can't you just accept a new me?"

"Because my brother vould never say something like zat!" Petape snapped. "Even if he changes that much, I don't believe he would give up his carefree life for another one in the palace, stuck within its entrapments of politics and deceit! Even if you win, I'll never accept you as my brother!"

_Was it my imagination, or did he look like a forlorn lamb for a moment?_

Forcing herself to be harsh on their current opponent, Nina shook those thoughts out of her mind and tried hard to detect any evil presence in the blue Creeper's body. There seem to be none to worry about, at least for the moment.

Or it could be so well hidden that the Creeper did not have to worry about anybody revealing his true, insidious intentions.

"Be careful..." Nina whispered to Katt and Sten as they tried to figure out whether the sincerity in the Prince's saccharine tone was hollow or not. "An evil person never shows himself to be one." Nina replied in accordance to the questioning looks on their faces. They nodded in understanding and kept silent, aware that anything they say might turn the wheel of fortune against them.

The Prince smiled again, and Nina had no chance of probing his emotions as he regained his cheerfulness. "Very well then, Petape. I'll let you set the conditions for the competition. I can safely assume that these…friends of ours behind you are here to assist you in bringing the truth of yours to light..."

"Of course!" The Princess haughtily put her hands on her hips and smiled maliciously at the man who called himself her elder sibling. "Zey are going to help me find ze legendary Giant Roach, Vater Vorm and Golden Fly for my brother to make ze best dishes and beat you hands down! Ve vill see vho vill be smiling and laughing at ze end, **_Brother_**."

The Prince calmly laughed, although it sounded more eerie than cheerful to Nina. Her feathers ruffled ever so slightly and she could not help but link the nature of his laugh to that of the Joker's. Any wisp of sympathy present for him due to his forlorn look a moment ago vanished.

"Ah...Zose ingredients. You're as quick-witted as ever, Petape. I would've zought zat zere vould be little or no challenge for me in looking for zose zings." Turning to the four adventurers behind him, he scrutinized them for a while as though he did not know who they were.

"Hmm...Oh, where's ze blue-haired young man I've seen before? Did he leave ahead of you people?" The smirk was enough to shade the Prince's concerned tone with sarcasm and had Rand not held her back, Katt would have pounced on him and beatenthe livign daylights out of him"Perhaps he is just injured zen...I apologize for being such a poor host from before and I sincerely hope zat ve shall all fight fair in capturing ze rare ingredients. May ze best team vin." He held out a hand to Nina, who-thankfully-remembered her manners and shook his outstretched hand stonily. The Prince simply smiled and withdrew his hand slowly. "Come, my friends. There is a crowd waiting for us out there and we shall release the...the prisoner and announce the competition to begin. I'm sure the end result will clear the dirt off my name for you..."

"It will clear the dirt about the truth and that's all I know." The cherry-skinned Creeper retorted shortly and strode towards the grand veranda with the four of them hot on her heels.

None of them noticed the twisted upward curve present on the face of the blue-skinned Creeper behind them.

* * *

"This is never-ending, damn it!" Ryu screamed at the Berserker spirit who was smiling and reading a book while the ranger fought for his life with the berserker Valgraen. It was apparent that his opponent had practically lost consciousness and was attack with a blind and dangerous rage.

"Oi, Berserker! What the hell am I suppose to do now? The Valgraen won't stop attacking!"

"Then make him." The spirit smiled deviously, apparently enjoying the situation his host was in. His smile widened as the volley of curses which were directed at him increased. Whistling to himself, partly to blot out the curses and partly to infuriate Ryu further, the spirit leaned back on a chair he had conjured and continued reading his novel as though nothing was happening.

_Damn that bastard...What the hell does he think he is?_ Ryu ducked under another wild slash and gasped in surprise and pain as a gauntleted fist buried itself into his stomach. He fell and rolled along the ground as the unknown Valgraen soul hacked recklessly and vehemently at him. He had no idea whether his opponent was rational at all or not, considering that either he was screaming some ancient language only the gods knew of, or he was completely off his rocker.

"Don't belittle me, bastard!" Ryu jumped to his feet as the spirit's sword struck soil and dirt again. The ranger slashed it across the chest twice and the ethereal dragon-man stumbled back, hissing. Without the luxury of time to recover, Ryu's opponent had lost his weapon to the unyielding soil.

He ended the battle as soon as he threw the first punch. The feeling of familiarity and power surged upwards, threatening to break his bonds of restrain. This time, Ryu knew what this was and allowed it to consume his entire consciousness.

With dilated pupils devoid of emotion, the Broodling sliced off the hands of his adversary and thankfully granted him a quick death through decapitation.

Hearing a chuckle and the sound of hands clapping behind him, the ranger turned, his rage and bloodlust forgotten.

The smile on its face was a real one.

"Congratulations on passing the first test for the control of your first evolution. It seems that you have mastered a little more of your powers."

"My...powers?"

The wraith laughed at the wondrous and confused expression on Ryu's face. "You should be able to control at least one-thirds of my spiritual power with ease, have easier compromise with your dragon transformations and the ability to produce small amounts of fire at least. Those are, after all, the abilities that Draconians should have."

Looking at the bewildered expression, the spirit could only sigh in exasperation. "You don't remember anything do you? How else would that explain the explosion you caused on Mount Dorgin, kid?"

Ryu felt the familiar stab of irritation ever since he had met with the frustratingly calm and sadistic spirit residing in his body. "...Kid?"

"You have a problem with that? I'm practically several hundred times older than you are." The spirit exaggerated a pose of coughing and straightened. "Look, Broodling. Do you want to get back to your own body or what?"

That seemed to be the prod Ryu needed to snap out of his childish anger. He turned with eyes the sizes of saucers, the imploring emotion in his eyes telling the Berserker spirit all he needed to know what Ryu wanted to inquire about.

"Just do what you did earlier and you will be fine. Oh, by the way, don't worry about how you can get back into your body together with me. As long as there are no alien disturbances and that your transformations don't go out of control, we will stick like glue in that physical part of you. A happy ending, won't you agree?"

"Happy my behind!" Ryu shouted, more than a little pissed this time. "I was going to ask you when the hell you are getting out of my body, geez!"

"Sorry to disappoint you, but things don't work like that. I'm going to be stuck to you for as long as you exist. When you perish, my life would be forfeit. When I die, the same will happen to you, so please take care of your own life and mine as well." He paused, this time a faraway look appearing for an instant in its eyes. "By the way, since you know the truth, I might as well acquaint myself with you. I'm Dannan Gorath, Berserker Spirit. You can call me Dan though. Nice to meet you." The spirit gleefully held out his right hand. Ryu was tempted not to shake it at first, but decided that whatever he thought now could come later. Right now, he had a job to do. He grabbed the hand and shook it firmly.

"Well then, Shall we get going?" Before waiting for a reply, Dan chanted in a strange language, each phrase louder than the last. His hands began weaving patterns in the air and soon enough, cryptic symbols, all brimming with magic appeared before the two of them. They were arranged such that each symbol was in a circle and while Ryu was enthralled by the mystery of them, he had not noticed that the chanting had stopped.

The symbols suddenly pulsed with a violet light and before Ryu could do anything, he felt as though his internal organs were turned inside out. The symbols each emitted a light bright enough to bring luminosity to the darkness of the twilight skies in the night, causing Ryu to feel even more nauseous. His head spun as he felt an invisible hand pull him through a brightly lit tunnel...

* * *

"So...We are supposed to find those lil' critters in the old dungeons of the castle and somehow try our best to bring 'em back, alive and kickin'..." Rand swiped absently at another cockroach the size of a human's forearm. "That's a little bit hard, your Highness."

"Ah, but ve must. If not, zese little creatures vouldn't taste ze same, Monsieur Rand." Jean spoke casually as he impaled two gigantic bluebottles like kebabs on his sleek rapier. "I hope zere isn't a problem vith zat..."

"The hell there isn't!" Katt shouted, swinging her weapon frantically to keep the bugs away from her. She reminded Sten of a frantic housewife swinging a broom to kill the insects which have conveniently made themselves at home in her house. "These are...these are..."

"These are what, Katt?" Sten added in, the slyness in his voice almost overriding the curiosity also present in it. Katt silenced him with an intense glare and frantically continued to bash a way through to the next door. The Royal Guards under the Prince's command had already gone through that entrance and probably began searching for the three atypical creepy-crawlies.

Compared to Katt, Nina was having an easy time ever since the healers had restored her ability of flight to her. She was simply throwing fiery projectiles at the insects, which cowered at the sight of the orange-red flame, threatening to consume them and waste them into a black pile of ashes. Although she did not say it out loud, it was obvious that her expression told all that she was still worried about their blue-haired companion, lying in bed in a room of a certain inn, dead to the world in his dreamless slumber.

"Come on, people! The way is clear! Hurry up! Those pesky guards are still a step ahead of us!" Katt beckoned to the rest as she stood in the doorway, looking nonplussed and apprehensive, as though a ghost would jump out of the empty space beside her and attack. The others followed her lead without so much as a word and readied themselves for another series of gruellign fights...

...Only to find the whole area devoid of any signs of life.

"What the?" the simian warrior stood, dumbfounded as the rest could be. The area was dank, as abandoned dungeons should be. What was surprising was that there were no dwellers of the dungeons.

For a place teeming with hostile creatures, this area was eerily silent.

Then, a loud skittering sound was heard and a cockroach of a impossible proportion emerged from the shadows behind the Woren.

"Katt! Behind-" Nina's warning came too late as the humongous insect rammed into her friend, sending her flying. She stood up, more enraged than scared that something so big had snuck up on her and hit her when her guard was down. With a hiss akin to a feline, Katt jumped straight at her assailant.

The insect dodged her attacks with inhuman speed and it was as though it had the intellect of a human as well, considering how it was dodging such that it would not end up cornered against the wall. Furthermore, the Giant Roach only attacked when there was an opening.

"Damn!" Katt panted as she jumped back. She had a few bruises on her body, and there was not a single scratch to be seen on the body of her foe. She crouched down, poised like a leopard, sleek and hungry for blood. Before she could pounce on her prey, however, a green hand found its way to her shoulder and gripped it.

"Calm down, Katt. Zis is not ze way to fight ze Roach ve are looking for." Jean Hoppa de Tapeta spoke, his voice surprisingly calm and serious. Readying his rapier, Jean proceeded to thrust the blade at his target repeatedly, his lightning-fast strikes protesting a stark contrast to his figure. But that was not the only thing the other four adventurers found weird.

"Why is he stabbing at the air before the Giant Roach? Shouldn't he be trying to punch some holes in it or something?" Sten was baffled. No one had seen such an absurd way of fighting. Well, definitely not him, that is.

"Look!" the flying sorceress cried out in unbridled surprise. Her three friends took a closer look to what was the most bizarre thing happening in their lives. As a result of Jean's rapier barrage, the Roach ran about blindly, one of its feelers shorter than the other while Jean stabbed at the confused insect leisurely, crippling it enough such that it was unable to move.

There was no emotion in the usual laughing eyes of the Prince and only cold, grim determination and seriousness were detected in them. As he dealt the killing blow, a muffled and disemboweled scream rose, echoing throughout the area. The Prince walked back, several large pieces of brownish flesh on his hands and that usual cheery expression on his face.

There was not a shadow of what he had showed before he took out the insect.

"Well then," Jean grinned from ear to ear, looking at his companions happily. "Shall we get a move on?"

* * *

The second area of the dungeons was surprisingly well-lit, considering that it was at least three times larger than the one they had been in. Nevertheless, how could a dilapidated place like this still experience this level of maintenance?

The answer soon came in the form of a Creeper flying past them and straight at the wall beside them. An audible crack was heard and the Creeper, dressed in the traditional colors of the House Guard of Hoppa de Tapeta slumped, leaving a long streak of thick crimson liquid on the wall as his head slowly slid down.

"So it was the guards, huh..." Sten mused, artfully darting a glance at Jean. The meaning of the look was not lost on him, but he went to confirm the status of the fallen guard. As he felt his pulse and breathing, the Creeper shook his head sadly and covered the widened eyes of the guard. He then saluted him and went back silently to the group, who, taking this as an indication to move on, went ahead of him.

The passages were mostly winding and confusing, but Jean managed to find a passable route. As it was with the second area, there were no monsters blocking their paths and trying to sate their hunger with a small bite of their flesh. There was only a continuous road laid with stone, littered carelessly with gravel. The bends were far and numerous, making the passage seem as though it went on forever.

The next bend, however, gave the party a shred of hope and surprise as they came across a long wooden bridge made of decaying planks and rough ropes. Despite its appearance, it seemed to be strong enough to hold at least ten grown men on it, acting as the only means of transport between the maze and the next stone platform over the large areas of water under it. Everything seemed in place and peaceful…until Rand spotted something bobbing out of the water.

It was the head of a Creeper.

The sharp gasp beside him told him all he needed to know that an intense fight had been fought here, with the guards losing the gamble of their lives to a dangerously cruel and powerful adversary. It was then that Nina began spotting other corpses lying about the bridge and the platform itself. She nearly gagged, since she had never seen such gruesome sights in her life before.

"Ah...Are zey sleeping?" Jean questioned.

That triggered off a series of events.

The statement prompted Katt to smack her paw on her face and as she backed up, knock into Sten who lost balance and fell into the water. Rand dived in after him, only to be repelled by a seemingly invisible force and knocked into the confounded Nina, crashing into the rest like a bowling ball into ninepins.

"Watch it, you oversized ball!" Katt cried as she stood up indignantly, her staff pointing at the dazed and startled, but otherwise unhurt armadillo. They felt the tense atmosphere dissolve ever so slightly as Nina giggled at the antics of her teammates.

That is, until a bloodcurdling war cry from Sten froze the blood in their bodies.

They hurried onto the bridge, finding Sten climbing up the first platform swiftly, while a long mass smashed itself onto the spot where the monkey had once stood. There was a slightly muffled roar as the rest of the body rose from the water.

The length of the bridge seemed tiny compared to the Water Worm. Besides its gigantic mass, the pest (which was aptly called by Katt) had two narrow horizontal red slits for eyes and had two rows of perfectly lined sharp incisors strangely flawless in a grotesque hole, which the party could only guess was its mouth.

_This isn't good..._ Nina thought as she floated upwards, so as to divert the monster's attention. The desired effect was lost as the Worm thrashed about violently and randomly, causing the whole place to shake. Nina shivered at the prospect of having the whole roof collapsing on them. If they did not do anything to stop it…Well, she did not want to think about the consequences.

The raven-winged sorceress began to weave a spell, her hands moving in complex patterns with meanings that only she knew. Before she could send the spell straight at the giant worm, however, a gold streak sped by and knocked the wind out of her. Nina recovered quickly, not entirely sure what-or who had dispelled her attempt at a fire-based attack spell. To her utter shock, it was a big-no, huge fly, its body shone a bright golden color. Everything about it was gold, from its wings to its eyes.

"Vat's ze matter, little girl? Can't see a teensy weensy fly like me?"

_So it talks too._ Nina stabilized herself easily. There was hardly any wind, let alone turbulence in here to rile the princess. She was sensible enough to tell that the Gold Fly was only trying to agitate her and cause her to fight him without a plan. However, the Winidian was starting to panic as her friends were in a little bit of trouble over a certain Worm. The thrashing of its body was less violent, but deadly accurate. The bridge was broken and Rand narrowly escaped the wrath of the worm's spiked tail.

"Everyone run to the second platform! Hurry!" Nina shouted as loud as she could over the ruckus generated by the Worm. She ducked in time to avoid a spell thrown at her. Hardly holding in her surprise, Nina continued to dodge every spell sent her way from the buzzing insect itself.

"Vat are you doing, little bird? Are you going to run avay from a little fly like me?" The mocking laugh was shockingly human. Nina gritted her teeth, knowing full well that once she lets anger take over her conscience like a virulent plague, she have as much chance as her fleeing friends chopping off a piece of flesh from the Water Worm right now.

She knew that her chances of hitting the pesky Fly were as much as zilch, since the Fly was too fast for her naked eyes. While it was not gaining on her, the sorceress knew that the Fly was just playing with her. She had to come up with a plan and fast, before her friends were handed one-way tickets into the Worm's mouth.

Nina winced in pain as an infinitesimal piece of the ceiling fell, leaving a small wound on her forehead. '_With all these projectiles, it's practically impossible to fly without getting hit-_

Then it hit her.

The Winidian princess continued her fleeing and decided to cast the destructive Fireball spell. Her plan was risky and dangerous and the energy she used for casting it was precariously high. The damage done might be insufficient and that could lead to the deaths of her and her companions.

_Here goes..._ Nina whipped around, causing her irritating pursuer to stop laughing and stop flying as well. Her spell ready, Nina smiled deviously and sent her spell to its designated location.

The great ball of fire scored a hit in the ceiling just above the Gold Fly, raining debris on the insect, which still did not know what was going on. A large piece of debris hit the Gold Fly squarely, sending it reeling in pain and pummeling towards the waters below. An angry buzz was heard, and the insect righted itself, avoiding the rest of the debris niftily and angrily speeding towards the culprit of its humiliation.

_This is it..._ Nina braced herself for impact as the insect zoomed towards her. All she could do was pray for her companions' safety as she shielded herself with her arms, all traces of mana in her exhausted...

...But the attack never came. She opened her eyes, expecting to see a golden flying pest hurling insults and taunts at her, zipping around like the irritating fly it was.

Instead, she only saw a flash of red, grey and blue and heard the dying buzz of the fly. It was wounded in the abdomen and head and its wings were neatly sliced off. The Gold Fly dropped, bewildered and defeated. It had no idea what just happened and how it was subdued. The time its contemplation of its loss was cut short by a katana skewering it, sending a small shower of bluish-red blood. Nina found herself grabbed by the waist and landing on the second platform, where cheers, revealing the relief and happiness of her companions greeted her and her savior. Feeling slightly giddy, she leaned on the latter and turned to get a good look at him.

_Green eyes._

_Azure hair._

_A grayish white tunic with red pants...It couldn't be!_

"Missed me, guys?" Ryu Bateson, all smiles and not showing a single trace of fatigue greeted them cheerfully. Jean smiled back happily, while the rest of the party stood stupefied, mouths widely agape at their unanimous leader's sudden appearance.

"Was I gone for that long?" The silence was killing him. After returning from the spiritual world of Dannath Tais, all the Ranger could think of was to meet up with his friends. After receiving news of their entry in the cooking contest-courtesy of Petape-, he rushed through the dungeons to reach his friends. Somehow, he was able to detect the presence of them. It could have been the aftereffects of his entry into Dannath Tais, or it could be that his week-long training had paid off. Either way, he was able to sense their emotions, their mana forces within their bodies, pulsating, calling out desperately to anyone who would save them. They were like hearts, beating steadily and loudly as long as their hosts were alive and well-

His head spun, the stars swirling around freely in his head. He staggered slightly and grinned. "Sorry for worrying you, Katt."

"You goddamned sure be sorry! We thought you would never wake-wake up again, you idiot!" The auburn-haired Woren screamed into his ears literally. Ryu laughed sheepishly, hoping to lighten the mood of their conversation. That only seemed to make Katt angrier, who took more liberties with her staff on Ryu's head and body. "Shut up, damn it! You don't even know how worried we were!"

"...Katt? What's wrong?" Ryu was surprised to see a faint indication of moisture in her big green eyes as she glared down at him. It never occurred to him that the battle-hardened Woren would actually shed any tears at all, and it was all because of his condition earlier on.

"I thought you had...you had d-d..."

"Died?" Ryu supplied helpfully, only to have more stars descend upon him. Katt sure had a way of showing her concern, Ryu mused. He stood up and grinned at his tormentor, who had successfully stifled a sob. He smiled softly and patted Katt on her head as though she was a little sister, a person who needed to be cared for and consoled. "Don't worry. It was not life-threatening or anything."

"Like hell it wasn't!"

"I can assure you that it wasn't that serious-" Ryu laughed nervously. He certainly didn't want to be on the bad side of her staff.

"Ryu?" Nina's soft voice floated over to him, breaking him off from the little conversation he was having with Katt. He turned to face the Winidian, who had a mixed expression of happiness, relief, surprise and fatigue on her beautiful face. "But how...?"

The said Ranger simply smiled. "I rushed here as soon as I could. Thought you guys needed some help. It's good to see you again, Nina."

"It's good...to see you...too..." The princess staggered and started to fall, the weight of exhaustion becoming too much for her to carry. Ryu caught her in his arms before she touched the cold, barren stone, the look of concern and slight guilt unmistakable in his eyes.

"I'm sorry I didn't come earlier..."

_He's feeling guilty...Is he that worried about me?...Wow..._ "It's okay...It wasn't...your fault in...the first place..." Nina squeezed out her words through her mouth with difficulty. The Fireball spell must have consumed more energy than she had imagined...

"Don't speak anymore. It's just going to drain more of your strength." A slight tint of redness materialized on his cheeks. "...Let me carry you, alright?"

"I-It's okay, really! I can stand on my own!" The black-winged girl did so...

...Only to have her knees crumble under her without a single ounce of resistance.

_Oops...Looks like I can't walk after all...Eh?_ Nina a pair of arms, strong and sturdy carried her, one hand around her back and the other around her legs. "Wh-What're you doing?" She could literally feel the unbearable heat on her flaming cheeks raising her temperature steadily. She had not really expected Ryu to be so bold as to do something like that...Or at least that was what she thought. Had the knock he received really change him that much?

"Don't worry, princess. You're as light as a feather, no pun intended." The wink and bright smile from the blue-haired teenager broke down her resistance to protest and struggle out of his arms, as though both had some sort of charm over her. The Winidian princess nodded quietly. The faint blush did not go unnoticed by a certain Woren, who glared at her and huffed.

"Both of you look like you were married or something..." Katt snorted, her disdain obvious to all those present. Ryu almost dropped Nina and laughed nervously at Katt while Nina almost fell out of Ryu's arms of her own accord.

"I-It...It isn't what you think!" Both of them said simultaneously, earning each slight reddish tints on their cheeks. Ryu laughed it off nervously again, since he did not have a clue why Katt would ask such questions.

"Hummph!" Katt snorted once more. She was not one to complain anyway, even if she did feel jealous...

'Did I just think that I felt jealous?'

"A-Anyway, Let's not dilly-dally and bring those pieces of meat up. We've to hurry for that cooking competition you know." She abruptly stalked off, dragging a bemused Sten with her in toll.

"Well I'll be. Katt, aren't ya goin' to get some o' that off those critters?" Rand was obviously amused at how uncomfortable Katt was in this situation. The feline warrior stopped mid-stride and turned to cut off a generous amount of the Water Worm's meat, which had its head skewered by a familiar longsword. She pulled out the weapon effortlessly and wrapped the flesh with a piece of cloth. Striding over to the fallen Gold Fly, she did the same and returned with a nonplussed expression.

"Ermmm...Thanks Katt..." Ryu spoke with caution, aware that the bow staff was still gripped tightly in her hands as she handed both of his weapons to him.

"Just don't be so irresponsible, alright? One of these days, there won't be anyone who cares enough to clean up after you." Katt hid a reluctant grin behind her staff and hastily placed them in the Winidian's hands. As she did so, she lowered her head so as to whisper in her ears.

"Don't think you have won yet, princess. This little battle is far from over." Her teasing tone suggested to Nina that her friend was not really angry, but was still troubled by her words anyway. Katt winked mischievously and ran off towards the exits of the dungeons, leaving the others in the dust. Ryu could only shake his head in a confused manner as he contemplated the strangeness of Katt's actions and words.

"What was that all about?"

Only silence and the shaking of her head from the sorceress in his arms greeted him, reflecting either the confusion or the denial of his companions.

* * *

"Let the cooking competition begin!" The announcer shouted, even though there was an inconspicuous absence of the greatest audience in such events: Enthusiasm. The crowd below the lavish and grand veranda clapped, while a few half-hearted cheers rang out. Ryu, Nina, Katt, Rand and Sten just stood awkwardly at one side, watching in wonder as the two Princes begin to show off what they were capable at. Executing each movement of chopping, dicing and even mincing gracefully and majestically, the two Creepers worked with a feverish intensity on their artistic and sumptuous delicacies to be presented to the King, who seemed to have been resurrected from his usual stupor, having been seen to be bouncing up and down ever so slightly at the buzz from the atmosphere of the competition.

"Sometimes I wonder at the intelligence of organizin' such matches. What do ya say, Ryu?" Rand mused out aloud, which was unfortunately overheard by Petape, prompting her to send a deadly glare in the direction of the armadillo. He smiled sheepishly in return while Ryu chuckled. Rand was probably never a good liar, since what he voiced out was purely his opinion.

"Ryu?" The shy voice came out more in a squeak than the owner intended for it to. "Could you...put me down? I think I can stand by myself..."

"Not today, Nina." Although Ryu spoke with a cheeky tone, he was very sure his heart was pumping abnormal quantities of blood to his face and body. Well, any normal male would have felt the same if they were holding a ravishing princess with equally beautiful black wings, now neatly folded and placed in such a way that Nina was able to lie comfortably. He felt as though he had the need to look away from the Winidian's eyes, knowing if he did so, he might get a even higher temperature on his scale.

Fortunately for the warrior, the Princes have finished with their food and the serving had began for the judges: Three of the best cooks in their kingdom (aside from Jean) and the King himself were to taste and rate the cooking of the two Jeans.

The blue-skinned Creeper grinned widely, as though he had won already.

Ryu's Dragon Tear flashed crimson.

_Hmm...That bastard's got something up his sleeve..._ Ryu thought. He set Nina on her feet and kept one hand on the hilt of his weapon, even as Nina leaned on his back for support.

"Ryu, What's-"

"Shhh...It's about to begin. The judging, that is."

Indeed it was. The cooks took a small bite out of the blue-skinned Creeper's food. Ryu watched their expressions closely and smiled as he watch them grimace a little before putting on the biggest mask of smiles and lies on their frog faces.

"Ah! Zis is vonderful! Ze flavouring is perfect! Full marks for zis!"

"Magnificent, as expected from our real Prince!"

"...Horrible...No coordination of spices used in ze dish."

Ryu could not believe his ears. He whipped his head up to look at the chef who had actually criticized the blue-skinned 'Prince' and his culinary skills. He could be considered the shortest Creeper in history, his height a mere three-quarter of Ryu's. The ridiculously curled mustache probably took more than a few hours to do and the chef's hat was probably about half his height. Appearances did not matter, Ryu decided. This chef could unconsciously be helping them reduce the bloodshed that might follow if their friend lost.

As the King tasted what the other Prince Jean had declared as his 'best dish', the scores went up and it read 10, 10, 0 and 5 respectively.

"Zis is incredibly outrageous! Monsieur Louis, our most experienced chef has not given any marks for ze fine vork of our beloved Prince. Vat is going on?" Turning to the plumper Jean, the announcer scoffed, disdain and all visible on his face. "And now for ze imposter, who even dared to speak of our Highness's name and use it for his own. I'm pretty sure zat his results vill be much vorser zan our Prince, but it is up to ze honorable judges to decide."

Without even looking at any of the food he had made, the first two chefs gave a 0 each while Chef Louis slowly and carefully went through each dish like the experienced gourmet he was.

"Ryu." Nina's voice brought his attention to her, something he had been trying hard not to do. He silently swore that he could hear a otherworldly chuckle resonating in his mind and cursed at it. A second entity can prove to be problematic in cases such as this.

"W-What is it?" His voice was a little more wobbly than he had imagined, causing him to regret opening his mouth. But by now, Ryu had noticed that Nina was standing on her own, her blue eyes shining with mana dormant in her veins. "Nina? You alright?"

He gasped as he felt her clutch his hands. "Give me a little power. I'm close to breaking the mind spell over the King." With that, the sorceress spoke no more and continued to concentrate, the light in her eyes growing brighter and brighter each second. Ryu nodded even though he did not know what his winged friend was really doing. Then again, he had other matters to worry about, such as transferring a little power to her and protecting his Creeper friend if all roads point to the worst scenario.

"Ve've a verdict!" The announcer shouted, his voice dripping with dark triumph. The score for the green-skinned Jean read 0,0, 10 and 4. Ryu could almost feel the whole atmosphere wince together with him as he thought about whether he needed to use his alter-ego to finish this. Beside him, Katt, Rand and Sten tensed up, each of them gradually falling easily into their fighting stances as they see the guards raising their weapons tentatively. '_Come on Nina..._'

"Stop!" A strangely familiar voice cried out, wizened but so commanding that even the Ranger stopped pulling out his longsword. An audible gasp rose from the passive crowd, the judges, Princess Petape and even the two Princes.

The King, also known as Enkaru Hoppa de Tapeta, stood up for a long time in coming, his ancient eyes opening to show two black orbs, seeming to contain a great amount of wisdom and surprise in them at this moment.

"Such a contest holds no meaning when I know who my son truly is. Zis contest is hereby adjourned." Above the thunderous cheers from the common crowds, the King turned slowly and meaningfully towards the other two chefs, who practically shriveled like dead flowers as he stared hard at them. "I vill deal vith you accordingly. But first, I have to ask you about your motives in helping zis imposter to ascension. Vhy did you do it?"

"Mercy, Your Majesty! Ve vere tempted by ze offers of riches and glory he offered us. Any normal Creeper vould have succumbed-"

"Silence!" The booming command either had no effect on the Creeper commoners or it was something that they had been missing, because if anything, it only brought about louder cheers. "Do not talk back to your King in zis manner. Zat is no excuse for committing high treason." Without waiting for a reply, Enkaru boomed: "I hereby lay you with charges of high treason and both of you are exiled henceforth, never to return. May St. Evrai bless your wretched souls. Guards! Take them away." With that, he turned to the people and waved, a huge smile under his bushy white mustache. As he basked in the glory of being back in power, the King turned to his sons and his friends.

"I guess an order of zhanks is in order for you brave adventurers. For zis, I shall revard all of you greatly. As long as I have Petape and Jean by my side, zere's nozzing more I vould vant." The King extended a hand towards Ryu, who promptly shook it. Katt, however, was looking in all directions and sniffing along the floor tiles of the veranda.

"Something wrong, Katt?"

"You betcha. I don't see the Princess of SimaFort anywhere. Have you seen her, Vine-arms?"

Sten winced, knowing that she was referring to his arms, which were able to stretch to abnormal lengths. "No. She wouldn't be running off anywhere on her own after seeing her Dad come to her senses and her brother's name cleared." A horrible realization struck in as he pondered all other reasons of her mysterious disappearance. "Don't tell me..."

Katt nodded. "She's been taken by that bastard. I sniffed out her scent as well as the imposter's. They seem to be heading for the back of the throne room."

"Ze back of ze zrone room? Ve must stop him!" Enkaru wobbled and fell flat on his face as he tried to run. "Argh...Too many days of meditation on ze stupid zrone..." Turning to the party of adventurers before him, he opened his mouth, only to have Ryu cut him off with a sudden smile. The Ranger bounded off towards the biggest area of the palace, hot on the heels of a Creeper Prince who had run off like a madman on hearing the danger his little sister was in. Nina pouted at being left behind, though she would probably be of little use in her current condition. Looking wistfully as her friends followed Ryu, the Winidian Princess helped the wizened ruler up and noticed the puzzled expression on his face.

Nina smiled. "Don't worry, Your Majesty. Ryu has always been like this. There shouldn't be any problems as long as he's there. I trust him."

The old Creeper smiled, accepting Nina's help, who had shaken off her dizzy spell by now. "Thank you very much, Princess. If you were wondering how I knew who you were..." He trailed off as he gestured to her black wings. Nina's smile faltered slightly, but it was back up again as she took the old ruler by his arm and led him to a seat. He adjusted his position and called for the crowd to disperse and resume their daily activities.

"Eraine," He spoke, an uncharacteristically sly smile on his face. "How do you find that handsome young lad?"

Nina nearly slipped and fell upon hearing the question. "Um...H-Him? Are you t-talking about R-R-Ryu?" She silently cursed her tongue, wondering why is it that any questions regarding her green-eyed friend caused it to tie itself into a knot. "I-I don't know..."

The King laughed heartily, a sound Nina never thought she would hear when she first saw him. "I see. Take your time my dear. I must add, he seemed to be a good young man who does what he believes in without hesitating. I'm sure you find him appealing as well." The old Creeper laughed again as he saw the redness deepen on Nina's face. "I won't embarrass you any further, my dear. How is my old friend Ascorr?"

* * *

"Huh? There's only a wall here..." Ryu felt along the walls, puzzled that Jean, Petape and the imposter had disappeared into thin air after going into the throne room. Then again, the King had said something about "the back of the throne room", which meant that there probably was a secret mechanism which needed to be activated.

Ryu tried knocking on the walls, but gave up after hearing dull sounds resonating from the solid wall. He was hard-pressed for time, knowing that every single second he squandered could mean the last of the royal siblings. "Damn! If only Nina was here. She would've blown this crap away with a Powerspell..."

"Outta the way, Ryu!" The Ranger turned and leapt out of the way as a humongous spherical mass rolled towards him. It crashed into the wall and Ryu heard a grunt of pain, which sounded like it was from Rand. Katt, who was running on top of the mass leapt into action and swung with all her might at the weakened barrier. The wall crumbled literally, revealing a stairwell leading downwards into the deeper sections of the castle.

"HEY! Watch what you're trying to hit!" Ryu shouted at them, the look of irritation evident on his features. His scowl deepened as Rand and Katt laughed at his reaction. "I'll deal with you guys later. Right now we've got a Prince and Princess to save." He sprinted towards the stairwell and took three steps at a time. Sten followed soon after, as did the sniggering pair.

It didn't take long for them to reach the bottom of the stairwell. Like the second area of the dungeon, the area was well-lit and cavernous. Stalactites of a great number hung from the ceiling while the floor was laid with ancient stone tiles, each bearing a strange glyph of a language unknown or lost in the mists of time.

There was a strange, podium-like structure in the centre of the room and a narrow road leading further away from it to a impressive Creeper statue. Ryu saw the imposter standing next to the structure, his face contorted in a vile mask of surprise and dark glee. Petape was lying next to him while Jean was seen slumped against the left cavern wall, the huge crack in it telling them what had happened to the frog Prince.

The look of surprise soon turned into one of terrible hatred and if looks could kill, all of them would have gone to their Makers on the spot.

"You!" The Creeper snarled, all traces of humanity leaving him. The voice sounded suspiciously like what Ryu had encountered in Augus and the Joker. His thoughts were unfortunately reinforced by the black gem shining in the middle of his pendant.

"It was all because of you little crittersss that I lost everything! It was you! All of you! You shall pay for thissss!" The group watched in horror as the Creeper slowly mutated into something huge and grotesque. His muscles rippled as the transformation began to take place. His eyes bulged unbelievably in their sockets and his slimy tongue grew longer, and longer, such that its length was the height of a tall, grown man. Boils soon invaded his body and his face twisted and grew while his body bulged as well.

"Grroowwwrrr!" The creature roared as it took form It looked like a replica of Jean's ancient Creeper form, except that it was twisted and uglier in appearance. While Jean's form could be called a 'giant frog', the words 'giant toad' floated into Ryu's mind as he looked at the monster before him.

"Damn, but that's a real monster we've got on our hands this time." No sooner had Rand spoke when the creature's tongue lashed out at him, knocking him several feet back. He rolled on the floor for several more and laid still.

It burped rudely, sending a wave of gas into Sten's direction. He lost his senses momentarily and staggered a few feet before being swept into the air by the swing of the toad's front leg. A gurgling sound, which Ryu assumed as laughter sounded, the strange noise reverberating off the cavern walls.

The weird laughter stopped when a long, thin and pink tongue wrapped itself around Sten to save him from crashing into the wall behind him. Ryu followed the tongue and came upon the sight of what he had first seen when he stepped onto the Western continent.

"Jean!" Katt cried. She received a huge smile from the giant frog, which jumped at the bluish one with ferocity absent in the Prince. The two amphibians fought, both with such viciousness and ferocity that even Katt did not dare go near them for fear of getting killed.

The giant toad hammered a leg into the flank of Jean, who grunted and sent one of his own in retaliation. The toad gurgled and jumped up before the attack could reach him and body-slammed into Jean. He rolled on the floor and lashed out at his opponent with his tongue, using it like a whip and trying to blind the toad by aiming at his giant eyes. The toad gurgled again and slapped the pinkish whip away as though it were nothing more than a pest. It pounced upon Jean and threw him a few dozen feet more. Dazed, Jean tried to stand but collapsed when one of his legs gave way.

"Fool! How can a weakling Prince like you beat me, Kuwadora?"

"...Vat? You-You're Kuwadora?" Jean replied as he reverted to his old form. Standing up weakly, his eyes were clouded over by shock and realization. "You-you're my half-brother?"

"Indeed I was! I can't believe you have forgotten me, that everyone has forgotten me. Worse of all, Petape doesn't even remember her childhood friend!" Kuwadora roared. His eyes glowed an unearthly green as he picked up the said Princess and deposited her on his back. "After being adopted by that old fool Enkaru, I was duped into thinking that I would live a good life and be happy even though my parents died. I was tricked by both of you, saying that you will be my friends forever, that both of you will always stay with me!" The venom in his voice almost matched that of his skin and it was clear to Ryu that the Dragon Tear was almost certainly wailing. There was more than just one negative emotion that had overcome the half-prince.

"Instead, the old fool went away and your mother sent me away, deeming me to be a bane to the royal family. To make sure I stayed dead, she even sent an assassin after me!" The toad gradually began to deform. "How right she was in thinking that! It was my fortune that the assassin could not bear to kill children and actually brought me up! What a twist of fate indeed!"

"Kuwadora..."

"Save it! Royalty will never understand how thedire needs of the poor!Not now, not ever! You don't understand a thing, so don't just ignore the fact that you were ignorant and try to shun the problem!" A purple aura seemed to cover Kuwadora as he returned to his original Creeper form. Ryu's hair stood on an end as he felt the spiritual power of the half-prince reach frightening heights. He drew his long sword for good measure and was thoroughly surprised that the cornered villain punched a glyph on the podium-like structure instead, running to the statue as though his life depended on it.

"Stop! Kuwadora, please! Ve didn't know zat vould've happened! Petape isn't involved in zis madness! Leave her out of it!" Jean screamed, hobbling towards his half-brother in vain. Katt helped and supported him as he stumbled and fell to his knees. Ryu turned to look at the still forms of an armadillo and a Highlander, shook his head and hurried after the ranting, mad half-prince.

"You're too late, Ranger! The secret weapon of the Hoppa de Tapeta is mine!" The Creeper now stood in the middle of the narrow path, laughing maniacally as he grabbed Petape in a stranglehold. Ryu halted in the middle of his charge.

That action would have been his last error had he not ducked and dodged the swift and fatal stabs of the sword. The blade itself was made of iridescent obsidian while the hilt seemed to be created by the finest craftsman. It was a cross between a rapier and a longsword, a weapon fit for a warrior king. Ryu almost let out a sigh of awe as he had a close-up of it while it narrowly missed his throat by a few millimeters.

"Stop dodging and fight me like the Broodling you are!" Anger strong in his voice, Kuwadora slashed downwards at Ryu. The Ranger was momentarily shocked and could only parry with his weapon. The shock did not subside as he watched some dark tendrils of evil energy wrap themselves around his longsword, slowly causing it to rust and corrode.

"What the-?" Ryu leapt back, only to have his adversary chase after him. The narrow path was dangerous for Ryu, who found balance strongly desired in such a fight. On the other hand, Kuwadora attacked Ryu with a ferocity that surprisingly showed grace and fluidity in his movements like a seasoned swordsman.

His friends watched worriedly as their leader's sword was slowly dissolved by the mystical black sword. There were more than a few holes in his clothing as the attacks intensified. There was no telling when the Creeper would score a direct hit on Ryu. However skilful he is, he could not possibly hold out for so long.

Katt made for the narrow ledge-like path but was stopped by a giant hand. Rand had awoken from his daze.

"I have to help him! If this keeps up, Ryu might-might get in trouble!"

"He is already in trouble, Katt. Whatcha gonna do even he ya get over ter him, eh?" He felt Katt stiffen and lowering her staff. "We just hafta trust him on this one."

"Haven't we always?" They turned at the voice, taking in the sight of a limping monkey warrior, but otherwise unhurt. "Every time something like this crops up, he's always the one to take care of everything." He winced as he tried to move his arm. "Damn! I've always thought armor to be useless. Until now, that is..." Without warning, he began to chant and conjure the Bomb spell.

"Jump, Ryu!" Sten shouted. He threw the multi-colored ball of energy at the ledge and destroyed it, just as Ryu grabbed the un-noticed Petape and leaping back to the main part of the cavern.

"You're going nowhere with my beloved Petape!" The deranged scream sounded as inhuman as the look in his eyes was demonic. He had leapt higher than the blue-haired warrior, the sword held in both hands with the blade pointing downwards at him.

Kuwadora grinned in triumph as he stabbed down at an impossibly fast speed...

"NO! Ryu!" Katt screamed. She did not know what compelled her to do so, but that was all she could think of doing when the blade reached Ryu's heart as he crashed to the floor, creating enough dust to blind them for three seconds.

As it started to clear, Katt was already making her way towards her fallen friend with a vengeance but the big grey hand stayed on her shoulder, stopping her from moving.

"Let me at 'im!" Katt screeched, intent on unleashing her anger on anyone who stopped her. Rand shook his head and gripped her shoulder more firmly, pointing with his left hand to place where Ryu had fallen. Katt gasped.

The smoke cleared and the others finally understood why Rand had prevented Katt from rushing into the fray. Ryu had somehow grabbed Kuwadora's sword sheathe and contained it at the moment the Creeper had stabbed at him. Similarly, he had drawn the katana with a backhand and slashed upwards, scoring a deep, diagonal wound across the chest of his opponent.

Kuwadora's eyes widened in surprise and admiration as he released his sword, collapsing to the ground as his blood spewed from his wounds slowly. "Amazing...Looks like I've underestimated you, Broodling...You fought well..."

"So did you." Ryu tried not to pant as he stood up, wrenching the Creeper sword from the weak grasp of the blue-skinned amphibian. One second later and both him and the princess of SimaFort would have been skewered like helpless pieces of meat on a kebab stick. Literally dumping Petape into the arms of her brother, Ryu stood before the half-prince who had fallen from grace. The Dragon Tear flashed a new color that Ryu had never seen before. The grayish color seemed to mirror the emotions of his beaten enemy, who knelt before him as though he was begging for help and mercy out of despair.

"...Why did you do it, Kuwadora? You obviously knew that even by letting the demon into your heart, nothing will change. Petape will never accept you as long as you are in a false form." As he spoke, the blue faded from the Creeper's skin and was replaced by the familiar green of a normal Creeper. Even his facial features experienced a metamorphosis-like transformation: From that of a haughty prince, it slowly morphed into another face, one that was haggard but nevertheless handsome.

"Varrior...Let me speak to Jean and Petape...Before you end my life...Ze accursed spirit is zhreatening to take over my body again...and I fear ze next possession is ze final..." He looked up at Ryu pitifully, his eyes voicing the despair and sadness in his heart. Ryu stepped aside without hesitation and the dying Creeper came face to face with a limping prince and a unconscious princess.

"Jean..."

The Prince sighed. Even though Kuwadora had tried to kill him, he knew he was never one to do so intentionally or of his own free will. Besides, he never liked holding grudges even for a few seconds more. "Kuwa, don't vorry about it. I'm sure Petape zinks ze same vay."

"But I've hurt her! I've injured and kidnapped her to zis place vithout her consent! She vould never forgive me..."

"Kuwa! Stop zat zinking, its all codswallop! Petape has never and vill never blame you! If I don.t blame you, I don.t see any reason vhy my little sister vould zink differently!" Jean smiled genuinely and held out a hand to his half-brother. "If possible, please accept my sincerest apologies for letting you suffer all zis years, dear brother. Let me correct ze wrongs of my mother. I hope you find it in your heart to forgive all of us, Kuwa."

The kneeling Creeper felt tears brimming in his large, blue eyes, threatening to spill any time on the stone floor. He reached out for the outstretched hand...

...And the sickening sound of a sword stabbing through a body was heard.

The look on Kuwadora's face was no longer that of happiness, but of peace and a hint of sadness. Blood flowed out of his mouth and more spurted from the fatal wound he received in the back. He grabbed the hands of Jean and smiled as his eyelids gradually close and he Kuwadora died before he hit the ground.

"What a useless specimen..." The shocked group faced up, anger and fear dominating their every thought and emotion. Everyone except Jean drew their weapons in anticipation of the fight with the man who had plunged his weapon into Kuwadora.

There, floating in the air, wearing fine livery and a huge, malicious smile, was Andaroy Darksoul.

Whee...Cliffhanger! (Dodges any projectiles thrown and hides behind a sofa) It's been too long since I've used that. How was the chapter so far? Any useful criticisms, suggestions and flames (only if they are logical) are welcomed. If you need any explanations, I'll try to include them in the next chapter. Sorry if the story seemed rushed. My schedule is more packed then ever as exams loom over the horizon and yeah, just tell me if I need to speed this up or add a little bit of romance and action. Thanks for reading such a lousy story and see you people next time!

A/N:Kuwadora changes his accent back to a French one because he had reverted back to the good ol' Kuwadora. The one who spoke without an accent was the one possessed by the demon spirit in him.


	14. Chapter 9: Eightlegged Nether Homecoming

Author's Note: Let me do the mentions for the reviews in the next chapters all at one go…If there are going to be any more reviews, that is.

Before reading...

Disclaimer: I write fanfiction, and despite my wildest dreams of wanting to own the Capcom, I don't.

...And on with the story.

Chapter 9: Eight-legged Nether homecoming

"Sorry for crashing the party, my friends, but I just couldn't miss out on the fun you were having-"

No sooner had he spoken when he caught sight of the silhouette of a certain Ranger to his left. Even though the strike missed him by several metres, Andaroy was impressed that the failure of a Broodling had actually improved so drastically in such a short amount of time. What kind of training had he undergone?

Andaroy had no time to spend thinking about such trivial matters as he dodged another blow designated to separate his head from the rest of his body. He only had a single goal in mind here, and that was to test the abilities of the Berserker before him, not fool around and inciting his other companions, who looked a little darker than the gathering black fluff in the sky before a thunderstorm.

He muttered an incantation and blackish runes appeared before the party, sealing them in a globe of twilight colors. The roar of rage from his assailant was all he needed to bolt from his current position. He whistled at the depression the sword had left in the ground mockingly and drew his own. If he did not get serious enough, even the slightest mistake could cost him an injury...or more.

He took the initiative this time round and jumped down straight at the blue-haired Broodling, his sword baying for blood.

But it found none, as the blade licked air. He looked up to see the crazed warrior descending on him instead. Andaroy smirked and leapt out of the way, just enough such that Ryu's weapon would barely cut him. With his sword down, the Broodling was wide open and Andaroy closed in for the kill...

...Only for him to stumble. His eyes widened as he looked at the crumbling floor beneath him. Leaping away, Andaroy barely dodged a dangerous thrust to his throat. He lashed out with his left foot and caught something solid. Ryu flew back from the impact and stood his ground, panting slightly.

"Is that all you have, Broodling?" Andaroy smiled mockingly at him. "I have to admit, youimproved somewhatduring the time I had not watched your little band of adventurers. Still..." He looked at his fingernails and grinned sardonically. "...Pathetic."

"Shut up. Release them now, or else..." Ryu replied quietly. Andaroy felt the energies starting to swirl around the warrior before him. His smile grew wider. Finally, the Broodling was getting serious.

"Or else what?"

"This." That was the last coherent reply from Ryu as his voice changed to that of an almighty beast. The reptilian wings unfurled from his back and covered him, but instead of a cold, bluish light or a giant flame, tendrils of electricity shot out from his body, gradually forming a ball of bluish electrical energy, covering Ryu. The ball grew in size and a light bluish-green dragon broke out from the ball like a newborn hatchling. The tendrils spread out, striking the black ball that trapped Ryu's friends and obliterating it utterly. The rest reached out to every corner of the cavern and towards Andaroy, who deflected them easily.

"A Thunder Dragon...Most interesting, Broodling. Who would have thought a weakling like you would have that kind of power?"

The dragon roared in response and sent out a ball of lightning at him. Andaroy grinned and stopped the attack with two hands, slowly and painfully pressing it into his palms. The ball dissipated into nothingness, though the ruined gloves and burn marks on Andaroy's hands were obvious to all.

"What is he...?" Nina pondered aloud as they watched in shock and amazement that their enigmatic adversary had managed to negate an attack from one of the greatest creatures that ever lived on Asparia, even if he had been slightly injured from doing so.

"Beats me...But it doesn't look like Ryu's will lose anytime soon, even if this goes on." Katt replied nonchalantly, hiding the worry she had for her transmuted friend.

Ryu was indeed having a hard time trying to land a clean hit on his enemy, who had been parrying or diverting his claws or lightning attacks. The man dodged another attack with the agility of a monkey and sent a small fist into the dragon's head, which buckled and roared in pain. That did not stop it from continuing its attacks. Instead, the retaliation only served to anger Ryu more and he began bombarding projectiles at Andaroy from afar. Large chunks of the cavern wall soon began to fall with every attack dodged.

"Ryu, you have to stop zis! Ze cavern is going to collapse if zis continues!" Jean shouted over the ruckus caused, but the dragon paid no heed and continued firing away with a relentless rage. One particularly large piece of debris fell and crushed the lifeless body of Kuwadora.

"Kuwa!" Jean cried out in vain. He had planned to give him a decent and proper burial despite his crimes, but now, a simple but large piece of granite has become the final, nameless resting place of his dear friend.

"This doesn't look good...not at all..." Sten cowered in awestruck fear as Ryu continued his fruitless attempts to destroy his enemy, which had more success at trying to bury his own friends.

"We have to stop him!" Rand grabbed a relatively large rock and threw it at the dragon. It shattered like fragile glass pounded on rock, but all it seemed to do was tickle Ryu. "Well...I tried..." He shrugged as Ryu continued the devastation of the entire place.

"Fool." Andaroy moved in a flash and knocked Ryu back into another wall. "To think I was looking forward to a good fight...And this is what you give me." He sent a black beam into the dragon's chest, inciting a roar of pain and helpless anger. As it crumpled to the ground, Andaroy floated down towards the dragon, satisfied with his work.

Little did he realize that it was a trap Ryu had set up. Opening his eyes abruptly, Ryu unleashed a final attack, consisting of a giant lightning bolt from his mouth at point-blank range. It struck a bewildered Andaroy and threw him back, just before slowly reverting to his human form. "...Take that, you bastard. Who's the fool now?" He tried to stand up and grin, but failed miserably as he felt his muscles protest. He could only watch as his adversary spit out blood from his mouth and walk towards him slowly...

"Ryu!" The next instant, he saw a pair of black wings and a feminine figure in front of him. She chanted softly and a fireball appeared from her hands. "Stop! I won't let you come any further!" She glared at Andaroy, who just smiled in return and stepped forward. The fireball flew at him, but the flames passed through him as though they were nothing more than a slight breeze.

"That's a good Spark spell, Princess, but I'm afraid your friend behind has warmed me up already." He grinned. "I don't like to get rough with females, so please do step aside."

"No! I won't let you hurt him anymore! You've won, so please be away from here, since that's what you want, isn't it? To test Ryu's strength and come out as the victor. Therefore...I'm not going to let you hurt him again!" Nina stood her ground despite her fear of the man before her. Andaroy was powerful...and dangerous, but she felt that there was an unspeakable need to protect Ryu. She just could not bear to see him get hurt badly again...

"Nina..." Ryu struggled to stand and finally succeeded with the help of a few pieces of debris here and there. He stumbled over to the Winidian and almost leaned on her for support. "...Don't...He's too strong...You can't-" Ryu felt his world spin as he fell, the fatigue from his transformation and his two battles finally getting the better of him.

"Ryu!" He heard Nina scream his name and saw her face hovering over his, etched with worry. He could hear a babble of noises, consisting of pounding footsteps, angry voices and the deafening sounds of things falling onto the damp, hard floor. He felt his body being lifted up, and a heavy object striking him on the back of his head. The last thing Ryu saw was purple cloth before he finally welcomed the darkness so eager to claim him...

* * *

"...I see...So that's what happened when I was asleep..." Petape murmured as Rand finished his commentary of the events that took place in the caverns below. The group was now in one of the royal guest rooms of the palace, waiting for Ryu to wake up while trying to contemplate the meaning of the turmoil while they were underground. There were too many questions unanswered for them, as each individual sank into their own sea of thoughts.

_Ryu..._ Nina looked at him in concern. He had been asleep for half a day and the injuries on his body were not what one would call 'minor'. The damage inflicted by Darksoul on his dragon form seemed to have accumulated and passed on to the human body of Ryu, resulting in the heavy bruises and slash scars on his body now. Simply put, Ryu's body had seen better days.

_What did he mean by 'looking forward to a good fight?_' _Is he associated with the demons we've met? Why does he speak as though he knew Ryu from somewhere?_ She sat down by the bedside, her wings folding so as not to disturb the sleeping Ranger. _Ryu...Please be alright..._

Just as the words left her mouth, the blue-haired teenager stirred slightly, which was enough to make Nina sit up straight and stare at him hopefully. "Ryu...are you alright?" The rest of the group stopped their contemplation and conversation to look at their intrepid leader.

"Where am I...?" Ryu groggily sat up and gazed around. Instead of the cruelly grey and cold stone prison he was expecting himself to be in, all the Ranger saw was lavish furnishings and a brightly lit place roughly three times the size of his own apartment. "Where is this...?"

"You are in one of the guest rooms in the palace, Ryu." Rand crossed his arms and sighed in relief. Despite sleeping for twelve hours, his friend did not seem to suffer too much from his encounter with Andaroy...

_Or not,_ Rand thought as he saw Ryu winced when trying to sit up.

"Lie down...You need to rest." Nina coaxed gently. Ryu did not comply, however, but just stared at her. "I-Is there something on my face?" She blushed lightly despite herself.

"N-No...But..." She could see that Ryu's face was beginning to fill with color as well, though he gazed down instead of at her face. "Y-Your hand...It's a bit tight..."

Nina glanced down at her own hand, which had grasped his and squeezing it tightly. She felt heat rush up her cheeks. "I-I'm sorry!" She wrenched her hand away despite the small hint of disappointment in her heart.

_She must have done it subconsciously..._ Ryu looked at her, still blushing from the warmth of her hand. _And I'm just acting like a hormone-crazy teenager...Snap out of it!_ He quickly smiled at her to cover his embarrassment. "You don't have to apologize...I must have worried you...all of you."

"Ryu..."

"You got that right, buster!" Katt pounced on him immediately, as though something was urging her to do so, even though she knew Ryu needed some rest. Watching Nina and Ryu together somehow made her feel uneasy. "Don't ever do that again and worry us for the next twelve hours, damn it!"

"Katt! What...Owww..." Ryu winced as she landed heavily on him. "You could have been a little more gentle..."

The defiant green eyes stared at him angrily, but Katt could not keep the worry in her eyes from showing as well. Realizing that she was right on top of him, Katt blushed and got off. "As long as you're fine, I can be as tough as I want to you!" She huffed. Sten chuckled while the armadillo and princess beside him raised their eyebrows at the scene. "What?"

"Nothing, Katt. Nothing at all." Sten laughed, his eyes twinkling. "I just sorta envy Ryu-" A hard object came down on his head like a ton of bricks, causing him to see stars.

"You just don't know the meaning of keeping quiet, do you?" Katt waved her bow staff threateningly at him and Sten laughed nervously, subconsciously crawling away from the angry Woren. Ryu laughed at the scene despite his injuries. The two of them always seemed to brighten up the days with their antics. Scanning the room, he realized that the SimaFort prince was nowhere in sight.

"Where's Jean?"

Petape sighed. "He's...at ze balcony. Kuwadora's death vas quite a blow to him..." Ryu stayed silent at that. Although he had not been the one who directly killed the Prince's childhood friend, he was still partly responsible for not stopping his murderer.

_Andaroy Darksoul..._ Ryu's mood turned dark at the mere thought of the opponent he had fought, the one person who had managed to defeat him without breaking into as much a sweat. Ryu knew that he was powerful, but even so, Andaroy had beaten him effortlessly while in his dragon form. Was there no way to turn the tables on him?

"Ah! So all of you are here! Vonderful!" The familiar voice boomed, filled with cheer instead of the gloom everyone else in the room had expected. Jean Hoppa de Tapeta walked into the room, his usual aura of happiness shining around him. He grinned at them and looked questioningly when he saw their stunned faces. "Vat? Vat's wrong?"

"It's nothing much, but we thought you were grieving...over Kuwadora-"

"Grieving? Vat are you talking about? I vas just thinking about how to tell Father zat I vish to travel vith Ryu."

"But I thought you...and you were looking so desolate about it a while ago..."

Jean scratched his head. "Vell, I vas sad for a vhile..." He gave a silly grin to his sister. "But Kuwa vouldn't vant me to cry or feel sad over his death, I'm sure of it, Petape."

The Princess looked at her brother in amazement. Usually, he had seen to be so silly and ignorant about the occurrences around him, but the Jean before her suddenly seemed so mature about the demise of his best friend since young...Had her brother really grown up finally?

"...Oh, zat reminds me. Petape, do you remember ze way to my room? I seem to have forgotten about it...Silly me..." Jean laughed a silly laugh, breaking the silent tension lingering in the room. Petape sighed. Maybe she had been too quick to judge her brother as of yet.

But at least he was back. Back to the old Jean, filling the air full of laughter and bringing humor to the world in his quaint little way. She giggled faintly, still very much aware that someone close to their family was gone, and in a way she would never have expected...

"Petape, Jean." A rich, booming voice rang out, so unlike the one the group had heard before from the owner of the voice. King Hoppa de Tapeta strode into the room with four guards behind him, though none had drawn their weapons. Apparently, he had heard of the 'little' ruckus caused in the caverns below their very feet, yet the smile on his face told them all they needed to know.

"Ahhh, Jean, It's zo good to zee you back!" the King patted Sten on his head, much to the amusement of his guests. Sten stared at him in confusion and finally realized that His Majesty's eyesight was probably poorer than he had imagined.

"Father! Zat is not Jean! Zat is ze monkey! Jean is over zere!" Petape could not help but rattle frustratingly at her father, who turned to look at the Creeper Prince.

"Oh my, oh my! How very careless of me! My son! You've returned!" He enveloped the Prince in a bear-hug, which Jean gladly returned. Ryu and the rest stepped back to give father and son space for their hearty and emotional reunion.

"Ah...Age is a cruel foe indeed. I've battled its side effects for so long, but a veakened body and shortsightedness can only allow me zo do so much, as Kuwadora possessed part of my mind easily..."

"Possessed?" Ryu spoke, and realized he had shown little respect by doing so. "Forgive me, your Majesty, but it came as a great surprise to all of us..."

"You may dispense vith ze formalities, my blue-haired friend. You have earned zat much respect vith me zo speak as though you're speaking vith a friend." The old Creeper chuckled. "You did not hear me vrongly, my friend. He possessed half of my mind and vith it, half of my sanity. I vas left to idle about in my mind while I had little control over my body as well as my vits."

"Kuwadora started to exhibit his authority over everything once under my command-The hunting party, the servants, the guards...and even the army." He shook his head in regret and grimness. "Had he been successful, I can't imagine vat vould have happened..."

As he trailed off, Ryu nodded his agreement silently, knowing that saying anything else probably would not ease the grief of the old Creeper before him. Considering that he had been close to Jean and Petape, there should be an unmistakable bond between him and the King as well.

_And it's your entire fault..._ A little voice in his head echoed through the caverns of his mind, mocking him, taunting him. But what could he have done? He did not even see or sense Darksoul anywhere near him...

_That's because you are weak, fool._

_No…I'm not weak…I just…_

_Just what?_ Ryu could hear the voice clearly now, noting that it was still disembodied, such that he had no way of confirming the identity of the speaker despite his suspicions. _Face it, Broodling, you are nothing but a mere hatchling, inheriting everything from your mother. Tell me and ask yourself; What skills do you have that were noteworthy against him?_

The shrill laughter rang out clearly in his mind. _See? See? This is what I meant, Broodling. You can't even fully control your abilities despite your time with Dannan Gorath-_

"Shut up! I don't need you to tell me anything! What the hell do you know!" His eyes snapped open, and Ryu found everyone staring at him in either shock or worry, or a combination of both. There was no mistaking, however, what their eyes of incredulity told him.

"I...I'm sorry, your Highness...I've been...weary of late. Perhaps I should retire for the day." He bowed deeply and mechanically marched out of the room, seeking refuge in what would be just another guest room in a few days.

He leaned out on the balcony, propping his head up with his elbows on the ledge and looked out at the cloudless sky; a direct contradiction to the general mood in the castle right now. But how could it not be? The shocking revelation that the 'Prince' was actually an imposter and yet was almost a kin to that of the royal family turned the respectable keep into a place of rumor-mongering and speculation.

_And it's all your_ _fault_.

"Ryu...?" The familiar soothing voice cleared the clouds of confusion in his mind. He turned, and saw the ever-familiar black wings and the brilliant green eyes filled with concern.

"...Hey." It was a short, simple greeting, but spoke volumes of 'I want to be alone, sorry' to anyone who heard that. Ryu turned back and felt her presence still behind him. Either she had difficulty understanding him or she was just...

"...Yes...?"

"It's not your fault, Ryu. He was just-"

"Too powerful for me?" He laughed bitterly and spoke before Nina could. "No, don't argue. You're right. I'm too weak to do this. I could barely graze Darksoul despite being in my dragon form...And most of all, I of all people should have sensed him before he stabbed-"

It was almost too much for him to go on, even if the victim was someone he had barely knew. The truth that he had failed to save a life was there, cold, harsh and unforgiving, especially when he knew that the other was prepared to give up the darkness that had consumed him and embrace the light once more-

"...But...No one was able to stop him as well! It isn't just your fault, Ryu. We were all responsible for what had happened! All of us understand that, and we want to share your pain..."

Ryu found himself smiling back at Nina, but there was little he could do to stop the sadness from showing in his voice. "...I'm sorry, Princess...Could you give me a little time alone? I...don't think anyone can help me with this." Without even confirming whether she answered, Ryu turned back to the sky and resumed his thoughts. It was only a few seconds before he could hear footsteps receding and the sound of a door being gently closed.

_"Something troubling you about that frog?"_ The voice was loud and clear, but Ryu knew that it only resonated in his head. He did not even bother to register surprise, nor wonder how he was able to hear the voice in the first place.

"He isn't just a frog. He is an important-"

_"Fool."_

Ryu's eyebrow twitched ever so slightly. "...Did you call me-"

_"Yes, you are a fool, Ryu Bateson. To think you can even call yourself a warrior shames me to be in your body."_

"What did you say?"

He heard the outrageous laughter again, and it was all he could do to rein in his anger before he started swearing. _"You are still a hatchling, after all...barely sixteen to seventeen years of age, I see. You have much to learn, and I have much to teach you."_

"And what would it amount to? Why does it even matter whether you teach me or not?"

Ryu winced as he heard the terrible hissing sound of unmistakable anger. _"Fool! I need to teach you for two reasons, and the first one alone is enough. Haven't you been listening? If you die, I will perish as well and vice versa. In other words, it's for my sake...as well as your own, considering you think that you are that weak."_

"That isn't really-"

_"A reason? Well then, young one, what do you fight for? World peace? Adventure? Are you even suppose to be thinking about keeping someone alive even though he or she is your opponent?"_

Ryu's tongue was instantly caught in his throat. That statement, not matter how brusque or dangerously rude it was, hit the bulls-eye. Dannath was right; He had indeed been thinking about ways how not to end everything so messily. It was little wonder Darksoul had such an expression of loathing and amusement on his face: He wasn't even taking him seriously. He had even sensed it himself, but had always escaped from that truth.

That his blade hardly had any killing intent in it when it came to humans or at least what looked like them.

The sky was soon crowded over by a mass of grayish-black clouds as though egged on by some mysterious force.

* * *

No one was really talking when Ryu returned. As expected, Nina did not even glance at him once, while Rand and Sten gave an ambiguous look. Only Katt's eyes held worry, but even that quickly passed. Perhaps it had been his behavior, perhaps it had been the death, but only Jean was whistling away despite the dark mood...And he was the first to enter this place.

The Prince himself stopped, however, and looked around, as though smelling the musky stench of gloom in the room. "Vat's vrong, my friends? Surely you can get over ze death of Kuwa, like I have."

The statement alone sent everyone's attention at him immediately; Jean Hoppa de Tapeta was the last person who was expected to say such words. The Creeper recoiled a little in embarrassment at the sudden attention upon him.

"Vell...Ve'll talk about zis later, my friends. For now, it seems zat you have been searching for a woman vith vings on her back, no?"

A silent and unanimous nod came from the party.

"Vell...Ve might have ze person you have been looking for. Our vilgilantes found her trying to sneak off into ze night and have discovered a profound fear of hers. She is now in ze royal kitchen cellars. Vould any one of you come vith me to identify her?"

"You really shouldn't have-"

"Done that to Nina since she is quite sensitive? I know, Sten...But you repeated it all the way from where we left, damn it."

"That still doesn't clear your guilt, I assume."

"But-"

"You should be ashamed of yourself, telling off someone who was simply trying to find out what happened." This time, Katt's voice buzzed like a fly near his ears and from the corner of his eye, he could see Rand nodding affirmatively. The three of them had somehow persuaded Nina to take a break and rest. She had been injured slightly against the final attack from Andaroy, or so Ryu heard from Sten.

"Here ve are." Jean beckoned theatrically with his arms, and the portcullis opened. Unlike what the gang expected, the cellar was huge beyond measure. The ceiling seemed to stretch upwards forever, while the giant pillars spoke volumes aboutan estimate of how large this cellar could be...or for that matter,thetrue size of the castle itself.The area was occupied by a dozen or so Creepers presently, each busily doing the things that matter.

What really took the attention of the group; however, were something-or rather, some things big. As they walked along, they noticed that there was only but a pathway enough for five people to hurry across, and flanking it were cages that had what seemed like glass panes, keeping the lively creatures inside before they became a dish on the table of a noble here. Of course, in these cages were-

"Bugs!" Katt simply could not resist the urge to squeeze Ryu as though her life depended on it. Not that she did not feel guilty about it, especially after the incident Ryu had with Nina. Still, it was her time alone with him without the Winidian around...

"Oh look, it's the girl." Ryu pointed, as though in a deliberate attempt to ignore the Woren clinging to him. She huffed returned to a standing position, shooting a glare at a snickering Highlander. The Ranger, however, was troubled by the shocking truth of Dan's words and how he acted towards Nina. It was out of character for him to push someone away like that.

It was undeniable, though, to say that he was quite interested to know that the girl had blue hair with a lighter hue than his, and green eyes as well. Other than the fact that she was doing a strange dance away from the friendly giant cockroaches scurrying towards her, her ears were slightly pointed, enough to be deemed as a being of a magical race rather than human. She looked to be around 14 or 15 years of age. Surprising for a youngster nowadays, considering the time of peace had made most people mellow.

"Get them away from me, you stupid frogs! I hate insects!" Her face had a nice ring to it, almost like the voice of a singer whose voice has not yet developed completely. It sounded familiar to Ryu, however. He could never bring himself to forget about the voice on the night where Bow was accused of stealing.

"Hey there, little missy. Ya suppose ya could come with us for a lil' while? We seek your...ah, assistance..." Rand was the first to speak up, noting that no one in the party had said a word after being showed the spectacle.

"Help? With what?"

"Clearin' up somebody's name. Ya don't want him to be dodgin' and hidin' forever, do ya?"

Ryu could hear a scoff from her voice, causing his heckles to raise a little. "Who cares? It's not like that was my fault in the first place. Too bad for him, I suppose."

"I suppose you would rather make friends with those friendly little critters, then?" He cut off Rand unknowingly, but the armadillo gave him a small thumbs-up as the go ahead. "Hmm...Nice place you have there. Free companions, free lodging, free food...and in a castle too. How lucky can you get?" He shrugged and turned on his heel. "Let's go. No point in wasting our time when we can travel about freely-"

"Alright, Alright! I get your point! Yeesh, you sure know your stuff in blackmail...Now GET ME OUT OF HERE!"

"No need to scream, Miss..?"

"Patty, just call me that, alright? And don't even think of laughing!" The girl retorted when she saw the Highlander trying his hardest not to snicker, but did anyway. "Get me out of here!...Pretty please?"

"Ryu sighed. "Just make sure you don't do anything funny…and we need you to return Kilgore's treasure, Patty."

"Oh, this hood thingy? You can take it for all it's worth, just please let me out of here? I promise I won't escape."

"A thief's word is hardly worthy ofone'strust..."Ryu muttered but gave the indication that Jean had gotten the right person. The Prince gestured to the servant Creepers handling the cage, and they opened the portcullis enough for Patty to bolt out, who scrambled to hide behind the biggest member of the party. Ryu looked disgruntled but nevertheless amused that such a thief with guts of steel having the nerve to steal from Trout, yet here she was, cowering away from some insects that she should have done away with as quickly as her lithe figure suggests.

"Right...Now that we have you along, Patty, perhaps you could assist us in a little explaining." He grinned. "Don't worry...It won't take long."

* * *

Moments later, Ryu's grin was wiped off his mouth as they stood in front of a rather forgetful avatar of a certain god, who was trying to remember a peculiar spell of teleportation for the entire party.

Ryu was not a happy man. Ladon had been wasting their time for the past half an hour and Nina was avoiding him so far. He did not know why he felt like this when there were times where Bow had ignored him pointedly whenever he was angry with the blue haired Ranger, but it was definitely not a good feeling.

He sat down by the now dead campfire, with only soot and ash in its fiery wake. Judging from the position of the sun, Ryu calculated that it was perhaps noon or sometime around there, give and take a couple of hours. Sighing, he turned to look at the rest of the group; it only seemed that Jean had anything interesting to do at all, and that was looking at the insects buzz about their heads.

He turned, and everything else in the foreground seem to fade when he landed his eyes on the female with black wings, looking and staring out at the lake, a land of water so peaceful that it seemed as though the slightest breeze would send ripples across. He walked over to the Winidian quietly, hoping that he could at least apologize properly...

"Hey..." Ryu stopped abruptly behind her. He could see her shoulders tensing, then relaxing-or rather slumping slightly-somewhat.

_A reaction…good._

"I um...I'm..."

"I'm sorry!"

"Huh?" Now he could not help but look confused. Why was Nina apologizing to him when he was the one who did something wrong in the first place?

Looking at the baffled expression on his face, Nina hurried to explain, albeit a little anxiously. "Well...You see, I knew that you were blaming yourself, and that it would be for the best to leave you alone, but I just couldn't-" The former princess stopped as she felt a warm hand on her head. Looking up, what greeted her immediately was a bright smile from the blue-haired teenager she had been babbling to.

"I'm alright now...Don't worry your pretty little head over that." Bowing his head, Ryu sighed. "I should be one to apologize...At least, I understand that all of you have been worried about me. I should never have pushed you away like that..."

"Hey, you two! The old geezer's finally got it right! Come over here, will you?" Patty's now familiar (and rather irritating) voice rang out. Ryu looked up again and smiled at Nina.

"Shall we go?"

"...Yeah, we should." A smile in return was all Ryu needed to know.

* * *

"...And so, that's everything that has happened to us so far. Seems like the place looks much better since the last time we left it." Ryu observed, looking around the now more spacious room that he had just entered. Bow had been complaining how the room he specially made for the both of them had been 'invaded and old woman and a pretty hot babe dressed in red.'

The Ranger knew his best friend's stubborn streak. It definitely wasn't 'out of respect for the elderly did he grudgingly gave up the room.' But even that was not important, considering that they had just explained what adventures they had been having and how they finally end up with the real culprit.

"And don't think of anything strange, Bow. You know she's the one who got you into a whole load of trouble in the first place." His eyes were roaming again, as usual. Ryu felt the need to do something about that, since he knew that one of these days, Bow's roving eye was bound to get him into a ditch so deep he won't be able to climb out of it.

Bow waved absentmindedly, his eyes still on the thief who scrutinized the place with a pinch of approval in her eyes. "Don't worry about that. I won't get into that kind of trouble again...What's her name again?"

Ryu sighed; some things just never change. "Seems like you guys did a good job with the house, though. I never thought Niro would look so happy there." He changed the subject, referring to the elderly man sitting at a long table, happily chatting with Sten and Rand. "I never thought I would see the day where you would actually delve into interior design..." He looked around and whistled. "Andsee success."

"Pfft, You're just jealous I managed to do something great."

"Maybe..." Ryu smiled somewhat sadly, recalling the events that had happened in the caverns. Bow sensed that he had touched a nerve somewhere, and decided to change the subject instead.

"So...Now that we have the real culprit, I can finally travel with you guys? I've been itching to see the sights and sounds of everywhere else aside from this house and Hometown."

Ryu could not help but sigh at the eager look on Bow's face. "Alright...But no more teleportation! It's barely half a day's walk there, and the monsters here shouldn't be too much of a problem. You might need some practice as well, Bow."

"If that's decided, I suppose y'all could fill some of us in on this lil' thief 'ere and what the heck's really goin' on." Rand spoke, his speech slightly slurred. Apparently he was still feeling the effects of the teleportation, courtesy of Ladon. The statue just outside of the house was even cleaned up, much to the pleasure of the old god.

Ryu nodded and explained their need to find the real culprit as they traveled, taking their time while Bow tried to regain the feel of his crossbow again. It wasn't a long story in the first place, but with Katt cutting in most of the time, the tale had to be done only when a unfamiliar face came in sight instead of the old guard. Ryu walked up uncertainly. The air behind him didn't seem to have the same lively and homey aura he remembered before he left the place. Something didn't seem right...

The Ranger stepped up nevertheless. "Excuse me...Is there something going on in this town-"

"No one is allowed into the town, I'm afraid. It's under martial law."

Ryu blinked. "Martial law? What happened?" He tried to take a step forward, but something sharp and pointy stopped him dead in his tracks as the guard pointed his spear at him, trembling slightly.

"Please, no more questions. Just...wait till this storm's over or find some other town to stay in." The guard slowly set his weapon back in place and moved back to his post. Looking perplexed and feeling a little anger at the same time, Ryu backed away into his group of friends.

"What happened? Why won't they let us in, Ryu?" Out of the whole group, Bow was the most anxious. The reason was clear to him, but he explained it nevertheless in the most direct manner possible, feeling a pang of sympathy for his friend as he watched his facial expression melting from simply anxiety to absolute horror.

"What? Martial law? But there was never a need for that! Either the constables or the Rangers would take care of things...Speaking of which, how is the Ranger Guild doing? I need to know!"

"...Bow, take it easy. You're going to tear my shirt sleeve off if you continue to do this. Besides, it's rather unsightly for a Ranger of your caliber to panic. What we can do as Rangers is to find out what the hell's going on in there."

Bow released his hold on Ryu's sleeve and looked down, apparently embarrassed. "Right...Sorry...But where do we start?"

"Where else?" Ryu grinned. Upon seeing Bow's confounded expression, he continued. "Don't tell me you forgot about that little ditch we dug up when we were kids."

"You can't mean...!"

"Just a little work and we'll be all set. I'm afraid..." He turned and smiled apologetically to the others. "...that Rand and Nina will have to stay behind. I'm sorry, but I don't think we can dig a ditch deep enough to accommodate you. We'll be counting on you, though. Stay by the Ladon statue. Once I have a chance, I'll contact you through the old geezer-"

"I'm going to stay with them." Katt cut off Ryu abruptly and glared at him playfully when he looked at her questioningly. "There's...There's something I need to do back at Niro's...You know, get my own room or something now that it's nothing short of a three storey building…I do get to stay there, right?" She winked at the Ranger, who blinked in surprise at her change of behavior and tone. He nodded silently anyway, and they went off in separate directions.

"Why din'cha go with 'em, Katt? I always thought you were eager for some action all the time-"

"Can you keep a secret, Rand?"

"Who me? Of course…But is it really somethin' so secretive as to cause ya to-"

"I need a girl to girl talk with Nina."

Rand snorted derisively, causing the said Winidian to turn around questioningly. The Woren elbowed Rand in the sides rather hard and smiled innocently, and Nina finally turned away after a few more agonizing seconds.

"Watcha do that for?" Rand gasped, struggling to find his breath. Looking in the direction Katt was staring off to, Rand straightened and sighed. "I get it...I won't get in yer way, then."

"What do you understand?"

"Doesn't matter what I understand, does it? Go do what ya need to." Rand shrugged and continued on ahead, striding past Nina. She blinked, turned around and looked at Katt with the same look again.

"Did I miss anything? What happened?"

"It's nothing...He's just feeling down that he can't be involved in a girl to girl talk."

"Girl to girl...talk?"

Katt grinned. "Yeah! We don't really know each other much despite having experienced quite a few mishaps already, right? We didn't really had the time to sit down calmly and talk it out as friends, not comrades-in-arms...That sort of thing." Katt grabbed her delicate hand and literally pulled her along before she could protest. "Come along! We've lots to talk about!"

* * *

"Zis is ze most interesting thing I've encountered. I'm glad zat I came along vith you, Monsieur Ryu."

"Ryu would do." He smiled back somewhat impatiently, concentrating on lifting more dirt from the supposed 'ditch' that he had mentioned earlier. Apparently someone with the 'right frame of mind' decided to notify the authorities about the little hole and caused it to be covered up. Now the five of them were shoveling dirt away as much as they could to make just a space enough for one or two people to crawl through, with a certain crook complaining of back aches. "Forgive my imprudence, but this is hardly the kind of thing we do as Rangers that you would call interesting..."

"No, no. Back at ze palace, it's alvays ze servants who insist on doing zis things..." Jean heaved and a large portion of dirt came loose. "There! Seems zat it's done." He pointed to the hole, the moonlight pouring in from the other side, revealing a dark passage large enough to fit one or two grown men in. "Shall ve go?"

They emerged from the other side, expected to be greeted by the ever watchful yellowish-white globe hanging in the sky and the ballad of the crickets, but the first thing Ryu saw as he clambered out of the hole was the smile of an elderly man, clad in a uniform-like robe. Behind him, there were others dressed in various jerkins and gambesons, holding easily concealed weapons. Short daggers and kukris arrayed their hands. Sten made a move to draw his own, but Ryu stopped him. There was no hostile intent amongst them.

"It's been a really long time, Elder. I'm sorry we haven't dropped in to visit you lately. We've been a little...busy."

The wizened man nodded in understanding, the smile steady on his face. "It's just as well. Rangers should always put work as a top priority, Ryu. I'm happy that you are adhering to our unique set of Ranger etiquette...And I see Bow's back again." He chuckled as the look on Bow turned apprehensive. No need for that, son. We never believed you would steal anything. Everyone here's your friend."

Bow relaxed, but only just. "What's with all that martial law crap going on out here? We came back to clear my name, and coincidentally the whole place's shut off from us!"

The Elder nodded grimly, stroking his chin somewhat anxiously as he took a thoughtful pose. "Things have been rather...crazy a month back. Ever since the time where the both of you left, the mayor's been acting strange. Raising taxes for no apparent concrete reason, cutting down on the manpower of the Guardsmen corps, homing in on 'crazed vigilantes' like the Rangers and now declaring martial laws after a spate of mysterious attacks on the citizens without even consulting the Guardsmen. Everything's running amok, and even as I speak, we're being hunted like dogs by his new "Guardsmen", who are in fact hired swords..."

"...Those who cut down innocents without hesitation at the sight of gold." Ryu nodded grimly. It was indeed a very bleak situation they were facing, and he had an idea why all that had occurred. He just needed a little more information. "Elder, do you know of anyone who's close to the Mayor? Any friends of significance in the town?"

The Elder scratched his chin thoughtfully."...If my memory didn't fail me, I would say the several wealthy merchants in town like Kilgore and Trout...But Kilgore was imprisoned as well..." He jolted. "You can't mean..." His eyes widened and he shook his head vehemently. "But that's impossible! He may be a person of some influence, but the Mayor Gradin we know is a man with backbone! He wouldn't change so quickly due to the whims of a friend...Would he?"

The blue haired Ranger shook his head slowly. "Mayor Gradin would never do that. I think we need to do a little investigation of our own, Elder." He grinned devilishly. "Try not to hear about our exploits when we go on a little investigating, old man."

* * *

"You know, you should show a little more respect to your elders, Dragon-boy." Sten pulled a bloodied Zip dagger out of the body that laid two feet away from him and he began the simple process of cleaning it with the clothing of the dead mercenary. Tough as they looked, the intrepid Ranger found them to be of little hassle. At least, that was what the alcoholic breath from an opponent told him when he staggered and fell to the ground without a fight.

"Not that he really minds, anyway. I'm used to talking that way to him anyway." Ryu nonchalantly replied while the monkey clicked his tongue disapprovingly. They carefully stepped over lying bodies, corpses or no and made their way quietly into the City Hall. It was small building, but its ancient roots were nevertheless imposing and seemed to command respect from every citizen who passed it by.

Today, however, Ryu only felt a sense of foreboding and evil radiating from it.

Everything inside seemed changed. Darkness enveloped the entire place, with only small candles giving vision to the five of them, giving off a faint, eerie glow. Patty hung close to the blue haired warrior and he could hear a soft whimper from her.

Ryu smirked. "Don't tell me the bold thief is afraid of a little blackness here…"

"B-But can't you feel it? There's something n-not right about this place."

"You can sense it too?" Ryu was surprised. He believed that perhaps the 'Broodling' preference that Andaroy used might have something to do with his own awareness of dark energies around here, but Patty as well?

There was no time to answer his own question; however, as the chittering noises coming from everywhere robbed his attention away from Patty. It was all that was needed for Patty to be snatched away as soon as Ryu's head was turned.

"HEELLLP-" Her cries were cut short, and the noises faded as soon as they started. Ryu frowned, trying to remain calm. _If I'm still rationale, I would say that the Mayor and Trout's got something to do with all these. If we could find them..._

He turned to the confused Highlander and Creeper. "Jean, Sten! We need to get to the top floor. That's where the Mayor's office is. Perhaps we can find Patty there and the answers to all these...happenings." Then, specifically at Bow, "I hope you are up for this, buddy. Such incidents are probably what you've never experienced before."

Bow scratched his head. "I've a very bad feeling about this, but I suppose this could be a warm-up to what I would be facing when I go with you guys. Let's get this over with." He notched another bolt into his trusty iron crossbow with a determined look on his face. Ryu chuckled and followed his eager friend up the stairs, with his other friends hot on their heels.

* * *

Nina fidgeted. It was that horrifying feeling again, as though something bad was going to happen. She could not wait to get out of this situation right now and do something. In fact, anything would do...

...As long as it doesn't have Worens staring at you and your wings as though you were the finest specimen from the Infinity.

"So...What do you want to talk about?" Nina broke the silence that ensued ever since Katt ordered Rand not to disturb their 'important talk.' What was said between them for the last fifteen minutes was silence, though.

Katt finally gave up what she was doing and sat on the other chair in the quaint little room she had, such that she was directly facing Nina across a small tea table. Staring straight into her confused green eyes, she took a deep breath, and decided to convey it in the most direct way possible.

"What do you think about..."

Nina looked on expectantly, her attention now totally riveted towards Katt as she struggled to string the last word together with her whole sentence.

"What do you think about...about R-R..."

"About Ryu?" The Woren almost fell back in surprise. She did not think that the Winidian would have guessed what she wanted to ask, but there was no time to be surprised anyway. She nodded mutely and stiffened when she saw a smile gracing her lips.

"Oh...He's a nice guy. Spirited, a little childish sometimes, but a caring person, I suppose." The words seemed almost automatic for her to say as they appeared in her mind. Her smile, however, had a mind of its own as it took on the same form as that of a devil. "Why do you ask, Katt?" The tone was suspiciously angelic, a stark contrast to the smile on her face. Nina had to suppress a giggle as she watched Katt squirm.

"Oh well, I er...Needed to know more about everyone!"

"So why didn't you ask about me, or Rand, or Sten or-"

"B-Because he's the first person I've met in the party that I actually like-"

"Oh, so you like him!"

"NO! No, it's nothing like that..." Katt stopped blabbering and saw the Winidian's look on her face and sighed. "Alright…I-It's only a small crush, okay? Not a big deal."

"Oh..." Nina tried to sound disappointed, but she couldfeel a strange feeling-aslight, small and dull pain in her chest when her suspicions were confirmed. "...Does he know anything about it?"

"Obviously not, geez! That's what you call a crush, right? Just like Stormwind had one on you..."

"That was more of an infatuation..." Nina replied, smiling lightly even though she recalled how ruthless her childhood friend had become in wanting to win her hand in marriage. "Speaking of which, do you think Ryu and the others are going to be back soon? They seemed really confident that they can end whatever's plaguing the town..."

"Aren't infatuations and crushes the same? Oh well...I'm sure they're having fun. Now, about the magic lesson you promised me earlier on..."

* * *

"This is getting really tiring..." Sten panted as he struggled to pull out a dagger stuck in the hairy, eight-legged giant carcass that laid across the stairwell. With considerable effort, he pushed it off, sending it tumbling into the darkness below. "Just exactly how many are there?"

"We're getting there soon. Be patient, Sten." Ryu replied absentmindedly as he wiped the sticky fluid away from his face and stepped over half a carcass, almost casually slashing at the next one that met him on the stairs. The Prince of SimaFort, on the other hand, seemed carefree enough compared to his other three companions, who either looked at their assailants in disgust or with grimness. Bow had to resist putting another bolt into another decapitated arachnid.

"Come on...It's just a few steps away-" Ryu flung the wizened oak doors open and gasped. Courage fled for a moment, but a strand held on as he focused his attention on the main attraction of the blood-splattered room: A somewhat surprised-but still being able to look pompous-Trout and the Mayor Gradin du Lach.

_Or what seemed to be left of him._ Ryu felt a sense of dread slowly covering his emotions. The Mayor looked nothing more than a shell of his former self. Deathly pale, whitish skin replaced the healthy baby-pink that saw itself on the cheerful middle-aged man. Black spots of a seemingly malevolent nature dotted his body, making him seem more like a sick and dying leopard instead. He was wrapped in tight silk, with a peculiar giant spider towering over him, all ten eyes fixated on the Ranger before it. Behind him, he could hear retching sounds from Bow and Jean. They had probably plucked up the courage and scrutinized the room, obviously not liking what they saw.

"Well, well. I didn't expect a fugitive to be here. Do you want to confess your sins before we give you a lighter sentence?" Ryu narrowed his eyes as he stared at the merchant. There was no more doubt as soon as he saw the smugness in his eyes. "The town would've been a better place without you loose cannons around..."

"What do you stand to gain, Trout? All you're doing is demonizing the city and destroying the peaceful life they have!"

The plump man shook his head as though responding to a slow learner or a child who has yet to understand the wiles of the 'adult' world. "Ryu, Ryu...Those are words that any self-righteous man would say. I'd have thought better of you. 'He' would have thought better of you."

"'He'?" Ryu asked, confused. He was well aware that there would be no answer given, but it didn't hurt to appear puzzled anyway. He did know what was coming, though. The merchant they knew as Trout was no longer in front of them when the noise started. While his companions look on in horror, Ryu narrowed his eyes as an additional pair of arms sprouted from his body and his skin bulged and boiled, ripping to reveal the true ugly purplish mass beneath it. Similarly, the already plump face contorted and seemed to melt away literally as a larger head with beady eyes as well as a maw the size of a regular man's torso showed.

_Another demon..._ He drew his blade silently as his other companions did, albeit a little shakily. He barely dodged the lengthy tongue that swiped restlessly at him and his companions simultaneously. It seemed so fast that even Ryu had some trouble detecting the direction in which it was going to hit. "Bow! We'll try to occupy this little bastard. Do your thing while we're at it."

The Grass Runner nodded while Jean and Sten slowly circle the remaining giant spider and what was known as Trout. The tension was thick, and all four of them were sweating ever so slightly. One wrong move might end in their demise...

And it attacked. With speed belying that of it's enormous exterior, the demon practically materialized in front of Sten and sent a flurry of punches. The Highlander rolled several times on the floor...and stayed still, a small pool of blood slowly spreading.

"Monsieur Sten!"

"Stay, Jean! We can't afford anymore casualties..." Without warning, Ryu charged headlong into the demon, which let out a high-pitched giggle and leapt out of the way with ease to land just behind the warrior, ready to devour him. The former, however, had different plans. Halfway through his charge, he pivoted on his left foot and spun, his sword swinging in a deadly horizontal arc.

The shriek that followed was unbearable, but Ryu felt a small sense of satisfaction as a purplish liquid gushed out and splashed onto the floor while the Creeper prince hurried over to the monkey.

"Ryu, I can't feel his pulse!"

His eyes narrowed. "Jean, leave him be for the time being. I don't think one attack is enough to finish him."

"Indeed." Without warning, the frog prince pounced on the surprised monstrosity like a tiger onto a lamb and executed a series of lightning-fast strikes at various parts of it. The attacks were accompanied by miniscule grunts of pain and bewilderment. Even Ryu was impressed, despite being able to see the strikes a little more clearly this time. Apparently the demon had replaced his defense for a lightning fast offense.

"Waoorgh...!" The demon lumbered towards them laboriously this time, the telltale signs of profusely bleeding legs taking its effect. Its attack potency was now disabled. Having little worry left, Ryu simply circled him and administered several hits to its vulnerable back. The monstrosity screamed, but refused to succumb to the pain and turned in an attempt to strike his antagonist down, who nimbly sidestepped him.

"Ryu! It's done." The blue-haired teenager hopped a safe distance before risking a look at Bow. The Grass Runner supported an unconscious Patty with her arm slung over his right shoulder, and the bloodstains told him what he needed to know. "That better be the last time I fight such a crazy arachnid..."

"...But as long as it's a pretty girl, you'll dive straight into a dragon's lair." Ryu grinned as he saw a indignant but slightly red Bow glaring back at him. "Enough about that..." He turned his attention back to the panting demon, which had unsuccessfully tried to make a meal out of the Creeper dodging and stabbing at him with his trusty rapier. "Why did you do all this?"

"Foooolsss! You'll never understand the power of money!"

Ryu looked at him as though he had never seen him before. "Money...? Just for that and you willingly made a contract with the netherworld? Why not wish for power instead?"

"Look at him, Ryu. Look at his eyes." The Ranger turned, surprised to see Sten walking up towards them nonchalantly. "Playing dead has been a skill of mine ever since I had a memory, though that's a lot of expensive ketchup down the drain...But anyway,what's more important is that all I see is a mad obsession in his eyes. He thinks of nothing but only that which he desires..."

"Then he can take it back to Hell from where he gained those powers." Ryu raised his sword. "...And may...may Evrai or whatever God bless his soul."In a swift and fluid motion, Ryu feinted twice to the left and once to the right before driving a powerful thrust straight into the middle of the demon, skewering it to one of the walls.

"...Nooo...The...money...My money..." It fell, and slowly dissolved, melting away in a ethereal puddle of green sludge and dark magic as the battered adventurers looked on.

* * *

"I thought you said they were having fun?"

Katt scratched her head. "...Well, I didn't expect them to look so...tired." She pointed to the group, who had sent out a signal flare a moment ago. The three of them had hurried over, only to be greeted by the sight of five haggard adventurers looking irritated, with a comatose middle-aged man over the shoulders of Ryu.

"Hey," A simple wave, but it seemed as though there were a ton of bricks weighing down his arm. "Could you help us out a little here?"

Author's Note: Been more than a year since my last chapter, and I'm felt really guilty. Sorry for those who wanted a new chapter. I know this was way below my standard, but lots have happened since the time lag between the previous chapter and this one. I sincerely apologize to the readers also for the fact that I'll be more inactive within a week's time. Rest assured, though, I'll try my best to come up with ideas for a novelisation that can meet your expectations. Thanks. Please do review if you feel the need.


	15. Chapter 10: A Whale of a Tale

Finally done…It took me quite a while, and I deeply apologize for the irregularity of the length for this chapter…I simply couldn't pass up the chance to showcase Dan a little more. Sorry for the long wait and please do read and review. If, by any chance, there are any good remarks or criticism as well as a review of quality compared to previous chapters, please do tell me. Thanks again!

On with the chappie!

**Disclaimer: **No money, no reputation, no expertise. Don't get me involved in a lawsuit; I hate those stuffy outfits.

Breath of Fire 2: Chapter 10-A Whale of a Tale

"So…" Sten looked at the slab of whitish-blue with undisguised contempt on his platter. "Can someone tell me again what are we doing here?"

Ryu looked at him in exasperation and stopped chewing, putting down his utensils at the same time. "That's the umpteenth time you asked, damn it! We're suppose to go to Tunlan, look for this Grass Man who's said to be widely versed in the ways of the world, and look for answers as to what we need to do next, which results in us looking for a boat at Whale Cape-"

"-And our search has produced nothing so far." The Highlander continued monotonously, stabbing viciously at the slab in front of him as though he was trying to kill it, even though it was technically dead.

"Do you really hate whale cakes that much?" Katt snickered. It was a strange thought…almost criminal, really, that the Highlander who would be the first to dive straight into the meal was losing his appetite due to the nature of his lunch.

And he was really hungry…At least from what his friends had heard from his bottomless pit.

"I hate fish."

"Well, whales aren't fish, Sten."

"I-I knew that! I was just testing you, darn it!" He threw the fork onto the table, embedding it slightly on the surface and turned away to sulk. Katt sighed and placed a plate of fruit in front of the monkey, to which his eyes widened. Several minutes later, the plate was empty save for a few seeds.

"Ahh…That hits the spot." He patted his stomach in satisfaction and turned to look at the intrepid leader of their group. "Hey Leader, what are we going to do now? There isn't a single boat here that's free…'He' wouldn't have anything to do with those coincidental sinking of ships, would he?"

Ryu fell into grim silence. The last time they had seen Andaroy Darksoul was in SimaFort. There had been no sighting of him ever since, though they only took around four days to reach Whale Cape. His suspicions were aroused (as usual) by the rumors that the surviving fishermen had seen 'leviathan waves emerging from the depths of azure, crushing their fishing boats mercilessly, crumpling half of the harbor like paper.'

As far as his knowledge of Asparia was concerned, he knew that waves-tsunamis like those could only be created by a large scale earthquake…One that should have been felt by the Earth and Air mages hired by the fishermen. According to them, the two magicians were usually accurate on where and when any disturbances would occur, which saved the whaling crews a lot of trouble-and their lives.

_So how was it that they were unable to discover anything out of the ordinary when the waves hit?_

"Hello! Earth to Ryu! We're waiting for your erm…orders?"

"Ngah!" The Ranger almost fell back when he snapped out of his trance and found the Woren's face inches away from his, looking every bit irritated as she always was when she had to wait. He sighed and ran a hand through his blue locks. Nobody had really asked for his approval when the whole 'Leader' thing came about. He had not asked for it, neither did he really want it.

"You know, I'm not really cut out to be the person in charge of this group. This kind of position should go to people with more experience in leadership, for example, Nina…"

"What are you talking about? It's been decided ever since we knew that there was some sort of a rivalry between you and Andaroy."

"…Rivalry?"

"You know, everyone gets the feeling he really hates you…And he seems as though he's not being serious in fighting us, like he's playing with us."

Ryu's expression darkened. He did not like any talk about the 'obsession' that Andaroy seemed to have with him, but what the latter had labeled him has had him grudgingly admitting that he was intrigued. Did it have anything to do with his lost memory of what he really was and the many questions that only led to more. What exactly were the Broodlings? What were they to the world in ancient times? Even the Elder had refused to answer the question after things had settled down in Hometown. Anyone who might even have a clue to what a Berserker or Broodling was either shunned him or simply politely refused to answer his questions.

_It was most ingratifying, wasn't it, Broodling?_

_I'll have you know that that's the seventh time you're trying to persuade me to go on a killing spree-_

_-Which you pointedly refused. What's wrong with you, eh?' The voice hissed in his voice tauntingly. 'What's wrong with spilling a little blood?_

_Taking lives is wrong._

_Even if it's for a good cause?_

Ryu jolted, always slamming his head into Katt's face who was peering at him most curiously. He opened his mouth to argue, forgetting that he was actually talking to an entity in his body when he realized that no words came forth. Since the day he had became a Ranger, he never had a great yearning or need to take human lives, especially if his jobs concerned mostly lost trinkets and small monster infestations.

He had never thought about going on a journey with a slew of companions from different races, fighting together and talking about Asparia's greatest circuses.

He had never thought he would be killing humans, be they vagrants and 'evil' people.

"Killing is wrong!" Was what he wanted to say…But after all that he had been through; did he have the right to say anything now?

_See what I mean? You can't escape your fate, Ryu Bateson. We are bound by the chains of destiny, and nothing you do or say can release you from me._

Ryu bit back his reply, feeling a different kind of heat compared to when Bow forced him to ask his crush out those years ago. Feeling a light tap on his shoulder from the back, he turned furiously, feeling a sudden craving to give a tongue lashing or do something violent to whoever he or she was…

And felt his anger dissolve almost immediately as he directly faced the worried expression on Nina Wyndia's face.

"Ryu…Is something wrong? You don't look too good…"

"…I…" He stared at Nina, different emotions swirling about his head. All were intense, none could be interpreted properly. One side of him seemed to thirst for violence, while the other was restraining him. After several more awkward seconds, Ryu gritted his teeth and swept away from the group, striding out sullenly. The former princess turned to look at her companions, a mixed expression of worry and inquiry on her face, but all she received in reply were shaking heads and shrugged shoulders, indicating that they had no idea what was wrong with their friend, though only Rand seemed a little more nonchalant about him.

"I'm going after him."

"No, Nina." She felt a giant hand gripping her gently, holding her back before she could take off to find the blue-haired youth. "He needs to solve this by himself this time…There isn't much help we can provide him…Especially if he doesn't tell us the whole story himself."

"But-!" Even Katt looked ready to go, though Rand believed that there would not be a need to stop her as well.

"Give 'im time…I believe in 'im…And I believe he'll tell us everything in due time…For the time being, we need to find a way to get to Tunlan. The governor did tell us that the circus was due to stop there next with the Grass Man."

"But I wonder…Can we trust the rumors that this bunny-hugging man would actually be as wise as they say? It just seems too good to be true." Sten lazily countered, slouching on one of the two beds in the room.

"I have no idea…But it's a lead nonetheless, and we can't let Kilgore's gift go to waste, can we? Might as well take a break from all that traveling and fighting and explore the City of Music." Bow replied with as much enthusiasm as he could spare. As much as he wanted to believe that Ryu needed him as a best friend and confidant, what Rand said made seRyu seemed out of sorts-moody even-for the past few days, as though tormented by an unseen being, prodding and touching his hidden emotional scars offensively, trying to pry them open once more.

"Indeed! Perhaps a little exploration of Tunlan vill lift his spirits, no? After all, music does heal ze soul…I zink."

Katt snorted. "That's real assuring, Prince. While you're at it, we need to discuss our progress in finding a means of transport to Tunlan.

"I'm on it." Bow stood up and cleared his throat; something which the group had gotten accustomed to whenever he wanted to made himself heard. "I got the information from an old geezer that during times of need and crisis, they would take their 'makeshift cruiser' to hide in some island caves nearby whenever a hurricane brewed and things like that."

"So what is this 'makeshift cruiser' you were talking about?"

Bow grinned at her despite their endless differences with each other. "Oh, I'm sure you'd love it, Katt Chuan."

* * *

Moments later, Bow found himself on the wrong end of a crazy bow staff with its equally irate owner. The Grass Runner knew he should have died several times over if looks could really kill. 

"You brought us here without even asking him whether this 'cruiser' was available? That's really intelligent of you, Bow Doggy."

"Hey! I resent that, you-" He stopped short of an insult as the bow staff was pointed aggressively into his face and stumbled back, falling inevitably on his rump. Katt snorted and turned back to the wizened fisherman, who looked on in mild amusement.

"So what are we suppose to do? Where's the cruiser you've been talking about?"

He chuckled, a low and hoarse sound, though nowhere near raspy like an old scheming wizard so often personified in fairy tales. "Come right this way." Without another word, he strolled over to a building, as dilapidated as they come. The moment he touched the wooden gate, it fell to the ground with a loud bang, while dust filtered into the surrounding air.

"Ahh…So sorry about that. Right this way, right this way." He stepped under an arch which looked as though it would collapse had the wind been slightly stronger and came to a deep hole in the centre of what seemed to be a hall of the building. "What you seek lies down there. It just depends on whether all of you are determined enough to go down there." He slipped into the shadows expertly after leaving them with a parting grin. "I'll see you down there…That is, if you actually came!"

"Hey! Old man!" Sten bounded after him, but he was gone in an instant, as though he had vanished into thin air. "What the heck…" With no one left to occupy their attention, the party automatically turned to the said opening in front of them.

"So…should we go down?"

"For all you know, it might be a trap."

"But ze people here seem so friendly, how could it be a trap?"

"I don't know if we can trust 'im, but at least we might get some answers if we head down."

"Nina, what about you?"

"I could float down, so it won't be a problem for me…"

"But-" Katt was abruptly cut off as someone brushed past her and looked at the hole. She turned and almost gasped in surprise at the sight of a revitalized Ryu Bateson, with a most interested expression on his face.

"Looks deep…" Was all he said before he jumped straight in without as much of a second thought.

"Ryu!" Nina darted into the hole immediately, and despite Katt's attempts to follow, she was being held back once again by the giant armadillo.

"What the heck are you doing, trying to stop me? Ryu might be hurt!"

Rand chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound like the waves caressing the shore gently in the morn. "Ya girls worry too much. Ya gotta have more confidence in Ryu. I couldn't stop Miss Wyndia 'ere since she was a little too fast for me."

Katt felt infuriated, despite being pacified by Rand's words. It felt as though she had lost again…And losing was definitely not on her cards, most definitely not more than once.

"Hey!" a voice rang out from below, recognizable as Ryu's. "It isn't too deep. Don't worry about it…Though you might want to let Rand come down first."

Rand nodded, knowing in simple understanding that if he had been the last to go down, it might spell the end of some of the party…or at the very least, one or two pancakes made first-handed from different races in a split second. Rand slowly lowered himself into the hole by pressing his hands against the sides. As his whole body was in it directly, he released the pressure and touched the ground below after several seconds of darkness and speed. The others jumped in as well, though all using different methods each. But the one thing they unanimously did was to turn and look at the Ranger questioningly.

"…I'm fine now. Don't worry about me. We need to focus on the task at hand. I've solved the problem, really." He smiled, hoping that it would somehow convince his friends that there was nothing wrong with him at all. He never knew whether it truly worked, though, as the old man appeared once more.

"I see you've made it. Look at your left and wait for a little while, will you?" They turned, somehow see the surroundings of a cavern of some sorts, its walls tinted a purplish pink with an eerie glow. In front of them was a vast pool of water, reaching out into the darkness beyond what they could see.

"Is it just me, or does it feel like we are inside something?"

The old man grinned at Nina and blew a whistle. It was a high sound, but neither shrill nor harsh. The sound was carried across the waters by the echoes off the walls and seemed to vibrate back. Within moments of the old man blowing the whistle, two small currents, both fast and unnatural for a cavern with still waters came straight at the group. They stopped, and all at once two dolphins popped their heads out.

"Oh look! It's Old Man Jack!"

"Hiya geezer! What's up? What's with the people? Oohh, I know I know! Is it a party?"

The old man, otherwise known as Jack laughed, half at the comments of the dolphin and the other at the incredulous faces of the group beside him. "Enka, they are the party. A party of adventurers who needs Gramps' help. Can you wake him up?"

"Again? But why does it have to be me-Oww!" The grayish dolphin grimaced as the bluish one poked it with its snout, indicating its displeasure at its comments. That did not stop him from continuing with his sentence, however. "Why can't Enko go? She's the faster one, isn't she?"

"It's not a matter of whether I'm faster than you in waking up Gramps, stupid. You haven't been doing your rounds, have you? That was why Gramps complained about having bugs in his stomach the last time round." She turned accusingly in his direction, and Enka cowered back slightly.

"Now, now, children. This isn't the time to quarrel. You do know that Gramps has been sleeping an awfully long time for now, haven't you?" Two nods affirmed his question. "Well, well…" Jack stroked his chin thoughtfully, and turned to the party, who was awaiting his response. "I'm afraid you'd have to wait for Gramps to wake up…Or at the very least, find the cause and take care of it."

"Take care of…it?"

He sighed, tapping his foot somewhat impatiently as though he was needed somewhere else. "Enko and Enka here have reported to me a few days ago about seeing something strange float down Gramps' throat. It looked like a statue of some sorts, but both of them felt something ominous from it and dare not approach it. And Gramps was fine before it appeared, too. Hmm, hmm…Too much of a coincidence."

"So you're saying this statue might be the cause of his unnatural slumber?"

"Yes, and I do believe it's still in there somewhere, probably at the centre of Gramps' brain, causing all his brain cells to fall into a hibernation condition, thus making him fail to respond to any of our calls."

Ryu scratched his head meaningfully. The idea of going into a whale's innards in order for them to continue their journey was not very pleasing at all. "So how do we get into this…Gramps' body?"

"Oh," The mischievous glint in his eyes practically told Ryu all he needed to know. "We're inside him."

* * *

"Are you really alright?" Ryu turned at the sound of her voice, as they wandered through the massive insides of the old whale, though one might believe that they were within a strange granite cave of gargantuan proportions, with a certain Woren and Highlander still shivering over the fact that they were actuallyinside a living thing. As for Nina...he knew he was asking too much for them not to be still concerned for his emotional state. 

"It's nothing…I think I'll get used to it soon enough." He smiled, though it seemed that it was not convincing enough for the winged enchantress to stop her worrying as she lowered her voice considerably, just enough for the two of them to hear.

"I-If anything, you can always talk to me about it. I'll be here all the time."

He turned in somewhat light-hearted surprise and replied her smile with genuine one of his own. It was surprising how a small reassurance like this could put his heart at ease…Even if it will be for a short while. An audible gasp and the sound of weapons being drawn robbed his attention away immediately, however, as he drew his own. "What's wrong? Monsters?"

"Yeah…Never thought a whale's insides could contain that many." Sten pointed to the numerous J-Fish closing in as well as at least a dozen Catfish, closing in on them.

"Well, it's not as though we've never been vastly outnumbered and came out alive before…What's the issue?"

Sten screeched, some panic creeping into his voice. "Don't you think I've already taken that into account? It's the rate at which they're appearing…It's endless!" He paused for a while to throw a Bomb spell at another group of Catfish, literally vaporizing them. "What's more, they seem as though they were possessed by something, judging from their movements and expressions."

Sten was right. Even the gentler creatures such as Amonicas seemed to have murderous intent of their own, tentacles raised in as menacing a manner as possible. Even as Ryu racked his brains on what to do, they were all closing in. He had to make a decision quickly.

"…Make a break for it."

"Wha-"

"Run, damn it! Who knows how big Gramps' stomach is! There could be more monsters here than in any particular dungeon you might have come across!"

"Can't you use your Dragon form? Blow these little critters away like they were nothing. That might save us a lot of trouble than trying to re-memorize the route we took."

Ryu shook his head furiously, feeling his hair stand as he felt the electrical pulses from Nina's close-ranged Sonic Boom spell. "I'll just be injuring Gramps internally, with the magnitude of power for my Dragon form, that is. Now, we need to run. At least it's better than standing our ground to fight them off while we slowly get surrounded!"

"Che." The monkey relented, though unwillingly, as did Katt. The others complied soon enough and fell back with Ryu in the lead. They did not know how long they ran or where, but judging from the change in the coloring of the 'cavern walls', they knew, at the very least, that they were going deeper and given some grace from Lady Luck, the right direction…Or so Ryu hoped.

* * *

"I think we might have lost them for the time being." He panted, bent over with his hands on his knees. "We can travel safely for the time be-huh?" He looked over his shoulders and saw only half of the original group with which they started out with when they made their frantic escape from the frenzied group of monsters. He momentarily forgot his weariness and turned to the closest person next to him. "Where are the rest?" 

"I…believe we got…separated…from the rest…" Rand struggled to catch his breath. "By the way…It…occurred to me…How are we…going to get to Gramps'…Gramps' brain?"

"Huh?"

"Think about it…There will probably be blood flowing in and out, denying us entry to his brain. If ya think about it, it ain't easy."

"No worries about that. All we need to take note of is to travel as fast as possible to his brain." Bow picked himself up and beat some dust off his clothes. "I've already taken that into account and asked Jack about it. It seems that Gramps is in a state of stasis due to whatever has happened to him."

"And that means-?"

"He's temporarily dead…All the nerves are not responding, and it seems that there is something keeping him alive…Though it would be safe to conclude that whatever caused him to be in such a state is also keeping him alive for some purpose and that there would be a lower possbility of having blood rushing in on us suddenly." Ryu concluded, answering Katt's question almost immediately. His weapon was out of his sheathe again as he glanced around. "There could still be things lurking around here, so be on your guard."

The remaining Rand, Katt and Bow nodded simply, readying their arms and prepared to use them whenever necessary. They could never too cautious, especially after their little run-in with the throng of overly-friendly monsters.

It was thus, a surprise that there were hardly any encounters, save for the occasional Amonica leaping out only to find itself outnumbered. More often than he would like to, Ryu found his mind wandering, so whenever a monster came near, it was Katt (who persistently stuck close to him) who did the job for him. He was chided for letting his guard down, but all Ryu could do was apologize and return to his own little world before the whole cycle repeated itself twice.

"Honestly, what's wrong with you? I'd have thought that you would be one to pounce on any opportunity to fight."

"I'm not that fanatical about fighting, Katt." He smiled to the annoyed Woren, the blood on one sharpened end of her bow staff telltale signs of the amount of enemies who had met their end at her hands so far. "It's simply that…"

"Simply what?"

"I wonder how the others are doing. It's been a while since we have been separated from them, after all."

_The only one you would really wonder about would be her, idiot._ Was what she wanted to tell him, but the mere thought of it brought about some heartache. Why was it that she could only envision them together without being able to smile truthfully, or was it simply her heart teasing her?

She was jealous.

It was already an undeniable fact (with the unwitting assistance of Nina it had been very much so), so much so that she did not even have the energy to argue with that irritating inner voice in her head telling her so.

_Somewhere in your heart, you wanted her gone…you don't even want her to exist, do you?_

The voice sounded so enticing. It was as though what it was saying was the right thing to do. She clutched her head in frustration and pain, trying to resist the sweet temptations of the eerie tone, echoing off the grottos of her mind.

"You alright?" She turned and blushed at the proximity at which Ryu's face was with hers. "You looked like you were in pain. Is anything wrong?"

That was the part of him that she probably liked the most. Despite having a dark and brooding side to him, the brighter aspects of his personality included his playfulness (sometimes) and compassion for his friends. Her pain somehow lessened as she heard his voice and she put up a false front, topped with a wide grin.

"I'm alright, I'm alright. I was just thinking a little on what we were fighting and had a small headache there."

"You and the word 'think' don't really seem to match."

"Oh, you think so too? Why th-What did you say?" She roared at the Ranger who laughed in her face before running off. Rand simply shook his head in amusement while Bow chortled merrily. Somehow, the atmosphere turned light again with just that mere comment.

_Was he the same moody and dark person just several hours ago?_ That was the first question on her mind. It was surprising how he always seemed to recover, despite seemingly showing two sides of the coin at one time and letting one side slide abruptly…

Who was he exactly?

* * *

"Are you sure zis is ze right vay, Monsieur Sten?" 

"Yeah, I'm absolutely sure. My sense of direction never fails me." The Highlander smirked, a little two wide and too quick for Nina's liking. She was sweating and gasping slightly right after they had lost their pursuers, despite having the ability to fly.

"Sten…Are you absolutely sure we are heading the correct way?"

"Don't worry Princess! It's all within my grasp!"

"…So I can assume that meeting that dead end up front was within your expectations as well?"

Sten froze upon her statement and turned back to face a solid wall, blank and taunting. He recovered quickly though, laughing it off and sped the other way, retracing his footsteps to see where he had taken a wrong turn. Nina sighed. The insides of a whale were probably going to be bigger than they imagined. Judging from how Sten was helping them find the way, even a mole might fare better. At times like these, her mind could not help but wander…

" _Vat are Ryu and ze ozers doing?_ was what you were thinking, right?" She turned; alarmed that the normally silent frog Prince could somehow uncannily read her mind.

"How did you-"

He smiled, the expression an innocent and honest one. "It's written all over your face, Princess. It seems zat you can't hide zis one from me, at least." He continued as they watch Sten rant and curse, looking for a route that might possibly lead to their salvation. "I hope zis is not too intrusive, but it does seem zat ze Princess is such a person: Compassionate, kind and alvays zinking of ozers."

Her cheeks turned slightly pink, though more from thehint that she had been concentratingmore on the intrepid Ranger more than her other comrades than from the praise he showered her with."You're embarrassing me, Jean. Besides, I'm not really a Princess anymore." Her smile grew sad. "I've been exiled from Winidia for an indefinite amount of time…Judging from the firm belief in the prophecy, there's no way I can go back without any animosity."

"Vell, just do somezing zat vill make zem grateful. Isn't it as simple as zat?" He gave her a wide grin, and Nina could not help but reply with a smile of her own. Sometimes she envied Jean. He was a Prince, yet knew little of deception and lies, living only in his own little world of innocence, imagination and simplicity.

_It would be great if we could all live like that…_

"There! Found it! This time, there's really no mistake about it!"

"Ah, Ve'll be counting on you again, Monsieur Sten."

Sten responded with an impatient wave of his hand. "You've to drop the formalities, Frogger. I feel quite uncomfortable with them anyway."

"Very vell…But how is it zat you are sure zat we are heading in ze right direction?"

"Well…" Sten scratched his head. "I listened."

"Huh?"

"Faint sounds of a battle coming from the other side of the wall. You need to have really good ears for that kind of thing, Princess."

"Then that means-!"

Sten grinned. "Yeah…They're on the other side. We should hurry up front and wait for them first…Though a few pests seem to be in our way…" He smiled devilishly, turning back to the front to face a few more unknown monsters, each a seething mass of flesh with hardly any distinguishable features. He drew out his Zip daggers and charged, with Jean and Nina close behind.

* * *

"So that's where you got your injuries." Ryu spoke, amused as Bow wrapped a few bandages around the Highlander's wounds, who winced every now and then. "You really did charge straight in without thinking, did you? Reminds me of a certain Woren…" 

"Hey!"

He chuckled. "For once, both of you actually agreed on something." He wiped the grisly remains of a creature off his sword. "Well, since all of us are finally back together again, Let us concentrate on the task at hand."

"It seems there is only one way." Rand pointed to the single, large purplish arch, an ominous darkness waiting beyond. "Come to think of it, that place feels a little creepy compared to what we've traveled through."

"No time to ponder about it. We're running out of time for Gramps." He sped towards the arch, only to ram against an invisible wall and bounce back, dazed and unhurt save for the slight bruise on his arm.

"A barrier!" Bow exclaimed as though it was the newest invention in the world.

"A magical barrier." Nina calmly countered, immediately muttering some incantations. The seemingly invisible surface shimmered, a distortion appearing on its flawless surface. "…It's no good. I can only reveal the barrier. Whoever set up this barrier probably has greater mental power or is a really formidable mage to begin with."

Rand hammered on the wall with his fists, only to meet the same fate as Ryu did: Being smashed into the opposite wall of the entrance. "Dang it! Ain't there no way ta' break this darn thing?"

The Ranger, who had by now recovered and assessed the situation, was quiet. He had an idea…A dangerous one, if one might ask the nature of it, but it was nevertheless probably the most efficient way, if his theory could be proven…

"Nina."

"Yes?" She did not turn to him as usual, concentrating instead on recalling any spell which could break down a barrier from her memory banks.

"To break this shield, you need a spell of an offensive nature greater than its defense or someone with greater mental power, right?"

"Mmm…More or less. Either way would work-Where are you going?"

The earnest smile ceased her protests almost immediately. "Trust me on this. I'll get us in." He proceeded to touch the barrier and to the astonishment of the party, Ryu's hand remained on the wall as though something with great adhesive strength had glued his hand to it.

_Are you ready? I'm just going to let you go free for a while for now. Take it as a repayment for saving my life in the caverns then…I'm warning you, no funny tricks._

He could hear the entity laugh, but it was neither raucous nor mocking, but a sincerely amused one. _You are a strange one. Few sane men would have taken the risk to let go of a separate entity which seemed to be always hell-bent on breaking free and rebelling against the will of its host._

_I was never really sane in the first place, I suppose._

_…That was a pretty good comeback for a Broodling of your age._

_Keep that in mind. Now, is there anything I need to know before I release you?_

_…The higher your pain threshold, the better._

_That's pretty reassuring…next? _Ryu could imagine the entity raising an eyebrow at him for such a statement. Somehow, he was beginning to feel more at peace with the spirit inside of him…Though he could feel that there was still some underlying animosity towards it.

_…You ARE a weird one…I cannot remain in the physical plane for more than five minutes without a physical host strong enough to contain me, so you better pray hard, young one._

_…Alright. Go._ Ryu steeled himself, and felt the tension leaving his mind, soul and body. It was a feeling of peace, as though he could finally rest…

Then it was as though something snapped, and the searing agony came rushing into him, into his mind, invading his senses and embargoing rationality from his mental harbors. He must have screamed, for the last thing he saw was a group of worried and shocked adventurers rushing towards him, though he was not entirely sure why he saw several of those blurry figures drop to the ground like puppets before his world turned to darkness…

* * *

"What a rough ride…" Dannath Gorath, clad in the full customary armor he always remembered he wore even till his demise shook his head to clear the nausea. He had never gotten use to traveling from one plane to another so forcefully and quickly. Had it been a weaker host, Dannath feared that the latter would have already gone insane, become a cripple or at best, a painful death. 

"Heh…How long has it been since I was last here? That fool should have called me out when he was talking to Ladon…Could've settled old scores with that old fool…" He grinned at the thought of that, his razor sharp teeth showing. "But it seems that will have to wait." He turned, the devilish smile literally plastered onto his face permanently, making his draconic features even more beastly, if that were possible.

"You're the one responsible, eh?" The warrior was standing in a great hall, decorated with walls of pulsating pink and purple. He assumed that the dome in the centre was the brain, and at the center of it stood a lifelike statue made of ancient stone. Its eyes glowed, showing an evil crimson color as it turned, as though it had a life of its own.

"Eh? Don't tell me you're surprised. The only one who could break your goddamned barrier around here currently can only be me, fool." He cracked his knuckles and licked his scaly lips. "I might have a fair idea who or what put you there, but I guess there's only so much I can do for now. Besides, breaking one or two of her minions' dolls wouldn't cause her a teensy bit ofheartache, would it?"

He stepped towards the statue when his legs felt as though they had been encased in lead. He smirked, the confidence never fading from his posterior. "A little magic trick won't stop me, fool." He flexed his muscles and concentrated, taking no more than five seconds to throw off the Slow spell. "Here I go!"

The next two Fireball spells barely missed him, while the third one was deflected by his bare palms. The Stone Doll's eyes flashed dangerously, and it teleported itself out of Harm's way just as Dannath's fist was about the shatter it into a million rock shards. The former simply laughed, and before the Stone Doll knew what happened, an arm flew off from its body, courtesy of a back attack from its opponent.

"The only thing that could be feared from you was your mental power…That was why all those runts beyond the entrance are sleeping like logs, eh?" He placed a large portion of the arm into his mouth and crunched it, spitting out some a moment later.

"Pssh…You're tainted, damn it…Not even worth eating. Well, sentient or not, you're just as worthless as the amateur who placed you here. He really doesn't know how to power you up…Of course, not many do nowadays anyway." He cackled and appeared in front of the Doll in a flash, ripping off its arms and legs, leaving only a torso and the head on the floor. "…This is the end, fool. Any last words?"

The light from its gray pupils flared, wailing out a signal which might be mistaken for desperation or simply urgency. Dannath's eyes widened.

"What…? Are you telling me that you don't even know who 'She' is? Who's your master?"

Another series of flashing lights went off.

He nodded in understanding this time, surprise sliding off his face like an eel off a slippery wall. "I see…It has come to that, hasn't it…" He grinned. "Well, for that, I'll grant you the mercy of being my next meal…Even if you don't serve as the best meal for me.

The light in the Doll's eyes died out as Dannath feasted upon its remains as though it was the nectar of the gods. He knew he had to savor every moment he had currently, for if his host was to wake up without him…It was best not to think about it.

The dragon warrior strutted out, looking at fallen group who had yet to awaken from their unnatural slumber. He grinned as he saw the Ranger, face no longer twisted in pain but at peace, as though it had been an uneventful last journey of his life. Dannath grinned, happy to see that his host looked neither a hypocritical crusader of justice nor an evil maestro of magic, plotting and cackling his way to world domination. There was no need to question his personality since he had come to the conclusion.

He scanned the group, and his eyes widened at the sight of the all too familiar black wings. _No…How can it be? It's wrong…IT'S WRONG! _He growled, backing away from the sleeping Winidian woman. Dannath calmed himself quickly, and took a closer look at the person in question. She was exceedingly attractive, more than the females of any other species he had came across in his entire life. He chuckled for the first time, taking note to torment his host with a few questions here and there about his Winidian lady friend later.

_She's a Winidian…Could she be the one?_ Dannath wondered, but even so, he felt strange, as though his innards were contracting and being sucked out. The time had come for him to return, and despite his mental protests, Dannath knew that staying any longer would endanger both host and scrounger, for lack of a better word. He grinned and allowed himself to be pulled into the eddy of mystical forces.

"Till then again, Asparia. We'll have more fun when I return."

And with a cackle and a sound akin to the crack of thunder, he disappeared.

* * *

"Uh…" The Ranger rubbed his head, feeling extremely tired for some reason, even though the pain had subsided. The dream had been rather stormy and confusing: Dozens of blurry images inserted into his head, a stone statue with a life of its own, black wings… 

_Black wings? He couldn't have!_ Ryu turned frantically. Upon seeing an unconscious Nina (as well as the other party members) all safe and sound, seemingly uninjured, he hugged her close out of relief.

"Mn.…" He quickly released her from the embrace as the Winidian opened her eyes blearily. "What happened?"

"It's over…We've defeated the source of the evil behind Gramps' stasis."

"Oh…That's great! But I can't seem to remember anything…"

"You've probably used too much energy spamming magic and concentrating so much on that attempt for your high-level offensive spell."

"You saw?...And knew what it was?" Nina was surprised. She had always thought Ryu's expertise to be in combat, not magic.

"I got the gist of it. It was a Bolt-X spell, right?"

"Yeah…Even though I knew it would damage Gramps from inside…" She hung her head in forlorn and shame. Ryu shook his head.

"It's alright…Everything's over…At least for now. The only problem now is how to carrying these guys back." He glanced in mock horror at Rand, who was snoring away. Nina giggled…and blushed at the position she realized she was in.

"Ryu…" She glanced down, her cheeks getting hotter by the minute. She was sitting quaintly on Ryu's lap, her skirt slightly hiked up while her body was still somewhat uncomfortably close to his. The fact that he was still holding her by her shoulders didn't help her temperature to cool either.

"S-Sorry about that!" The Ranger struggled to separate himself from her, only to fall face forward his arms flailed, and Nina tried to push him away to no avail…

She felt a shock-no, more like a tingle run through her body briefly. It was a pleasant feeling, causing her to shiver ever so slightly but so fleeting that she felt as though she could be addicted to it. She wanted it to last forever and as though sapped of strength, she leaned weakly onto Ryu.

"Nina? Are you alright? You must've been more drained of energy than you thought you were." The former Princess snapped awake from her daydream and reflexively pushed her friend away, putting some distance between them. He grunted in more surprise than pain and chuckled. "Well, it looks like you're well enough to try to assault me with a push." Dusting off his clothes, he smiled a little too quickly. "L-Lets wake the others up, yeah?"

"Y-Yeah." She stammered, unconsciously touching her lips with her slender fingers.

* * *

"Is this the place?" The party had awakened, with a little more coaxing from Ryu and Nina for Rand and Bow, who were sleeping as though they had long passed on. Despite the efforts of Dannath, Gramps had yet to awaken, and only when they returned to Old Man Jack did he suggest an outrageous idea. 

"Yeah. Just swing like you always-Not so hard, Katt!"

It was too late. The vicious stroke struck the loose muscle hanging from the ceiling heavily and it swung back like a punching bag taking the most powerful punch from a heavyweight boxer, almost hitting Bow in the chin as he stood a tad bit too close. For several seconds, it was as though time stopped. What they expected to happen did not come.

But it did soon enough.

"Did you hear zat?" Jean inquired, to which the whole party listened intently. A loud, rushing sound, seeming to contain the anger at the fact that someone (or something, in Gramps' case) hurt his Adam's apple really badly sounded the roar ever so familiar to Jean.

"Mon Ami! Ve better get out of here on ze double!" He shouted at the top of his voice. It was too little, too late, however, as the torrents of water gushed through and skyrocketed them into the air.

"…I hate flying _and_ fish."

"Whales still aren't fish, Sten."

"Whatever." With that said, he crashed-landed into the inn which they were staying at, hurtling through a window and shattering the glass. The rest either landed through the roof or were simply stuck-Headfirst, no less.

"So, who wants some first class tickets to the biggest luxurycruiser around here?"

The only response he got were several pieces of pottery thrown at him as well as laughter from a certain black-winged sorceress.

I'm seriously sorry about the terrible inconsistency in quality. There have been a few issues with my cruciate ligament, my mental state due to being cooped up in my house for a month (yes, I'm serious. I feel like going crazy any moment) and other minor matters as well as a minor writers' block for BoF. I might shorten the future chapters and increase the number of them, though it would help if there's any feedback, which will be very much appreciated. Thanks for reading my crap and have a good day!


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